Famines

Question 1

what is a famine

Answer 1

socioeconomic process which casues accelerated destitution of the most vulnerable
- regional failure of food distribution/production that causes starvation

Question 2

what causes the mortality in famines

Answer 2

drought is rarely mentioned
- many different initial causes of famines

Question 3

is famine an act of god

Answer 3

• category of natural disasters
• separates from policitcal, economical issues
• few famines can be blamed on outside human influence
• not a case of everyone is affected = because how come the rich dont starve (they have access to food)
• not a problem of food not being there = exports still continue

Question 4

is famine an act of man

Answer 4

• in most cases yes
• consequence of human behaviour
• no recent famine could not have been averted by taking food from somewhere else
• stronger correlation between famine and poverty, war than climate

Question 5

Sens labelled famine theroies

FED FAD

Answer 5

FAD = food availability decline
- changes in crop yields - not enough food in some areas
- policies = give food

FED = Food entitlement decline

Question 6

what is the Food availability decline about

is this theory viable

Answer 6

• reduced production of food = reduced rural employment = higher food prices
• consequences from climate
• doesnt explain why food doesnt come to an area - why is it not distributed after
• why do some groups have better access than others

Question 7

climate can sometimes lead to famine

Answer 7

• drought and
  war, no coping strategies, late interventions
• drought causes crop failure
• but vulnerability to drought causes famine

Question 8

FAD theory of population

Answer 8

Malthusian view that famine restoresbalance between food demand and supply = natural check

BUT
- baby boom , Boserup effect (pop is better for growth) , western more populated no famine

Question 9

FAD neo Malthusians

Answer 9

too many people too little food
- where fragile environment = famine
- high pop makes poverty worse = worse living standards
- need to slow pop = birth control

BUT
- children help with risk
- fertility doesnt cause poverty = its a response to poverty

Question 10

other theory to famine being caused by a shortage of food

Answer 10

FED = Famine entitlement decline
- there is enough food - but people still starving - whether person has access to food

Question 11

what are the 4 categroies of entitlement for individuals

Answer 11

1. trade based = what i can sell
2. production based = what i make
3. own labour = working
4. inheritance = willingly given

Question 12

what is the difference between endowments and exchange

Answer 12

endowments = what is owned
exchange = obtained by exchanging that endowment

Question 13

what is endoment failure = starvation if change in his endowments

Answer 13

• loss of labour
• crop failure
• livestock die
• flooding of land

Question 14

what is exchange failure

Answer 14

• fall in wages
• rise in food prices
• loss of employment
• drop inprice of good i buy or sell

Question 15

how are endoments and exchange relationship

Answer 15

work together
endowments collapse
food price rises
distress sales of assets for low prices = large supply
increase in displace labour searching for work
collapse in exchange entitlements

Question 16

graph what happens when endowments collapse

Answer 16

• Direct Entitlement Failure
• livestock die
  = entitlement set does not contain enough food to avoid starvation

Question 17

graph what happends when exchange collapse

Answer 17

Trade Entitlement Failure

change in price ratios
starvation set is larger
food prices rise
shifts outwards, pivots at food

Question 18

what are the strengths of FED

Answer 18

• directs attention away from supply side problem of not enough food, to access to food of individuals
• there might be enough food available but exchange entitlements may be skewed causing famine
• offers framework for more effective policies

Question 19

how should the policies change depending on FAD - FED

Answer 19

• should create more entitlements
• reduce the vulnerability to famine
• employment programmes = food in exchange for work - could miss vulnerable
• or cash = inflationary

Question 20

how can it explain food exported

Answer 20

irish famine
- merchants and traders will not ship food to famine victims when they know they wont pay
- explains why they need money

Question 21

limitations of SEN entitlement theory

Answer 21

• doesnt explain excess deaths due to things other than starvation = disease?
• doesnt talk about intra family entitlements = who has the power = young and old will die first
• theory focused on individuals - what about hhs
• doesnt explore connection between entitlements and poverty

Question 22

what is effective demand failure

Answer 22

people starve because they cant afford to buy food from well functioning markets = entitlement failure

Question 23

what is market failure

Answer 23

traders fail to respond to signals of effective demand or prices rise excessively due to

traders dont supply the consumer demand

market fragmentation
speculation/hoarding

Question 24

what are the 2 market failures

Answer 24

market fragmentation
- prices are higher in one town because hard to transport

speculation and hoarding
- farmers hoard produce in hopes price will go up

Question 25

policy implications for the 2 failures that cause famine

Answer 25

effective demand failure - transfer food/cash pure market failure = government needs to substitute for market - move food into affected areas

Question 26

why do sharp price movements matter

Answer 26

people dependent on markets for food large increase in prices = plunged into starvation set - modest supply decline can escalate into critical demand - selling assets

Question 27

why does market distance matter

Answer 27

- Desai = the more markets you have to go throughto convert endowments into consumption the more vulnerable you are - farmers least vulnerable

Question 28

what is market dependence profit motive and inequality

Answer 28

- profit maximising worsens famine - explains why poor suffer the most = only wealthy can afford high food prices - increases inequalities = poor transfer assets at low prices to rich, sell assets, work for lower wages

Question 29

what are the market response failures

Answer 29

hoarding and speculation hoarding = precautionary savings = wants to protect speculation = will save to sell = make money

Question 30

why is hoarding bad

Answer 30

- artificial scarcities - raises prices

Question 31

why hoarding can cause overreactions 1974 Bangladesh famine

Answer 31

- floods cause minor shortfall in rice production - prices rise due to overly pessimistic prediction in the press - mislead by misaccurate information - prices doubled in 5 months - hoarding and speculating famine man made - priced poor out of the market

Question 32

how are pessimistic expectations self fulfilling

Answer 32

- if you expect price increase and hold crops - you holding crops itself will increase price s - small farmers consume morr = further reducing supply

Question 33

why do prices rise

Answer 33

- farmers speculate - small farmers hoard - inflation means they might not want to convert goods into cash - will only sell what they need to to survive = keep rest - farmers might also demand food - selling assets increases price

Question 34

fragmented markets what are they

Answer 34

neoclassical = food supply falls, price increases, more people will come to the market and sell , until price falls back - depends on market integration

Question 35

what are the 2 contributions to famine via Fragmented markets

Answer 35

1. transport 2. spatial price differentials

Question 36

fragmented markets role of transport networks