Sitting in the last bits of daylight, eyes closed, I calmly take deep breaths. Slowly inhaling through my nose, exhaling through my mouth. I’m concentrating on the emptiness inside of me, I’ve been fasting for almost 24 hours. Is this hunger I think to myself? No, it is not, being hungry means more than just missing a meal. It’s a debilitating crisis that has more than 820 million people in its grip.

Hunger is a perilous cycle that passes from one generation to the next. Families who struggle with chronic hunger and malnutrition consistently go without the nutrients their minds and bodies need, which then prevents them from being able to perform their best at work, school, or to improve their lives.

So why are people hungry? This is a complex question, but hunger is a byproduct of food insecurity, which is defined as being “unable to consistently access or afford adequate food.” A number of factors such as poverty, climate change, price fluctuations, distribution networks, and food waste all play a role in food insecurity. There is no silver-bullet solution and each region or community needs its own tailored fix. Though many agree that closing the yield gap, using fertilizers more efficiently, raising low water productivity, and reducing food waste would all go a long way in helping to reduce food insecurity.

Suddenly my mind begins spinning, my breathing hastens. This problem seems so overwhelming, what am I a poor student suppose do about this? I slow my breathing and say to myself “you don’t have to be responsible for solving the world’s problems but taking a moment to contemplate and be mindful is at least a step in the right direction.” Contemplative practices can be helpful in metaphorically dipping your toe into complex problems. They allow you to examine your place within a living system while not overly internalizing it.