Poverty (43%) Most Thought by Canadians to Be the Cause of World Hunger

Toronto, ON - A new study conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Development and Peace and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank reveals what Canadians believe to be the primary causes of world hunger as well as actions that can be taken to help prevent it.

Among a list provided, poverty (43%) rises to the top of primary causes of world hunger according to Canadians, followed by government corruption in the Global South (22%), conflict and war (11%), lack of investment in agriculture in the Global South (8%), the rising cost of food (8%), climate change (4%), or some other reason (6%).

One way to help curb world hunger would be to make agricultural supplies, especially seeds, more available to farmers in developing countries. Six in ten (59%) Canadians believe that the Canadian government should ensure access to seeds to farmers in the Global South, while two in three believe other contributions like advocating the Canadian government to fund programs to support small family farms (63%) or donating to charitable organizations that help small family farmers (65%) could help reduce world hunger.

If poverty is the top cause for world hunger, what can be done to curb poverty in developing countries? Specific actions Canadians say that would be most effective in helping those from the Global South overcome poverty include:

• Supporting access to clean water and sanitation - 22%
• Supporting access to education - 21%
• Supporting local food production on small farms - 13%
• Supporting private sector to generate jobs, growth, and prosperity in the Global South - 8%
• Building infrastructure such as roads or ports - 8%
• Helping developing countries combat corruption - 8%
• Encouraging the improvement of laws and governance - 5%
• Developing trade relations with developing countries - 2%
• Training local police and military - 1%
• Making developing countries aware of environmental issues - 1%

When it comes to trusting different organizations or entities to fight world poverty and hunger, Canadians are three time more likely to trust international relief and development organizations (NGOs - 32) than governments at any level (5% governments of developing countries/6% governments of rich countries). Three in ten (30%) trust international bodies like the UN, World Bank, or the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while 4% trust multinational corporations and a quarter (24%) don't know who they trust to fight these world issues.

In 1970, Canada committed to giving 0.7% of its GNP in Official Development Assistance, while many Canadians today believing that Canada should be giving more. Thinking of an ideal amount of the Canadian budget that should be devoted to helping poor nations, three in ten (27%) believe this figure should be between 3% and 5%, with one in five (21%) believing it should be between 1% and 2%. One in ten say it should be between 6% and 10% (13%) or less than 1% (9%), with 6% saying it should be more than 10%. One in four (24%) don't know what the ideal contribution percentage would be.

Studies show that nearly one in nine (or 805 million) people in the world suffer from hunger, and most Canadians miss the mark when asked how many people they believe go hungry worldwide. Just one in three (32%) correctly identify the figure to be somewhere between 500 million to 1 billion, while four in ten (42%) believe its lower than this figure (7% less than 100 million/35% 100 million to 500 million) and a quarter (26%) don't know.

Most (77%) Canadians believe that the majority of people who suffer from hunger in the world live in Africa, while in reality this figure sits at 28%. Just 7% of Canadians believe majority of the world's hungry are in Asia, with the actual figure being 65%. Handfuls believe the majority of the world's hungry live in South American (4%), North America (2%), Europe (1%) or Oceania (1%). One in ten (9%) don't know where they majority of the world's hungry live.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between May 22nd to 26th, 2014 on behalf of Development and Peace and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. For this survey, a sample of 1,002 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Cedric Schauenberg
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
(514) 904-4326

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada--all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, visit www.ipsos.ca

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.