Hundreds of millions of people will go to bed hungry tonight—and every night. Hunger is the result of extreme poverty, and it keeps people stuck in the poverty trap. Without nutrition, children's minds and bodies cannot develop properly. Malnutrition compounds the effects of diseases, including HIV and AIDS, malaria, and pneumonia. And it keeps people from fully engaging in productive work and income generation.Around the world,

• One in every nine people does not have enough food to eat
• The number of people who are undernourished is rising
• Hunger disproportionately impacts women and children—malnutrition in mothers and children contributes to 45 percent of deaths in children under the age of five
• As extreme weather increases, it is becoming more difficult to grow staple crops like wheat, rice, and corn

Hunger is the result of extreme poverty, and it keeps people stuck in poverty. NCM partners with local churches to provide long-term agricultural programs such as small-scale farming, animal husbandry, and fish farms, to improve health and provide a source of income for families and individuals.