According to 1998 statistics, over 840 million people in developing countries are chronically undernourished, including 40 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. Malnutrition kills 6.6 million children under the age of five each year.

Many observers believe there is no justification for widespread starvation, arguing that the world’s food supply is plentiful. They maintain that a major cause of malnutrition is policies that hinder developing nations from retaining or acquiring vital foods and crops. One organization that is often cited as exacerbating the problem of hunger is the World Bank.

The World Bank is an international organization that raises money to provide loans and other resources to over one hundred developing nations. In an article in Finance and Development, a magazine published by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Wendy S. Ayres and Alex F. McCalla examine the...