1st Edition

The New Famines Why Famines Persist in an Era of Globalization

By Stephen Devereux Copyright 2007
    392 Pages 31 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    400 Pages 31 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The recent occurrences of famine in Ethiopia and Southern Africa have propelled this key issue back into the public arena for the first time since 1984, as once again it becomes a priority -  not only for lesser developed countries but also for the international community.

    Exploring the paradox that is the persistence of famine in the contemporary world, this book looks at the way the nature of famine is changing in the face of globalization and shifting geo-political forces.

    The book challenges perceived wisdom about the causes of famine and analyzes the worst cases of recent years – including close analysis of food scarcity in North Korea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Malawi and less well known cases in Madagascar, Iraq and Bosnia. With fresh conceptual frameworks and analytical tools, major theoretical constructs which have previously been applied to analyze famines (such as the 'democracy ends famine' argument, Sen’s 'entitlement approach' and the 'complex political emergency' framework) are confronted.

    This volume assembles an international team of contributors, including Marcus Noland, Alex de Waal and Dan Maxwell; an impressive roster which helps make this book an important resource for those in the fields of development studies and political economics.

    Introduction: The New Famines

    Stephen Devereux and Paul Howe

    Does Democracy End Famine?

    Alex de Waal

    Sen’s Entitlement Approach

    Stephen Devereux

    The Sudan famine of 1998

    Luka Biong Deng

    Pre-Modern, Modern and Postmodern Famine in Iraq

    Haris Gazdar

    Famine in North Korea

    Marcus Noland

    The Political Economy of an Urban Famine: Antananarivo 1985-1986

    Michel Garenne

    "New Variant Famines" in Africa

    Alex de Waal

    Analyzing Famine in an Era of Globalization

    Paul Howe

    Why do Famines Persist in the Horn of Africa?

    Sue Lautze & Dan Maxwell

    The Malawi Famine of 2002

    Stephen Devereux

    Why are there no longer "War Famines" in Contemporary Europe?

    Fiona Watson

    Is Democracy the Answer?

    Dan Banik

    Can Agricultural Biotechnology be Pro-Poor

    Ian Scoones

    Famines as Mass Starvations

    Jenny Edkins

    Intensity and Magnitude Scales for Famines

    Paul Howe & Stephen Devereux

    Biography

    Stephen Devereux is a fellow at the Institute of Development Studies.