Famine

Famine is defined as a social disaster originating from a deficiency in the quantity of available food, usually caused by prolonged detrimental weather and a subsequent breakdown in distribution. Whereas starvation affects only an individual, famine is a widespread, societal condition. Traditionally, famine has been associated either with Thomas Malthus’s theory of overpopulation and carrying capacity in which a region cannot produce enough food to support a growing population, or with natural disasters. However, research over the past several decades has provided a much more nuanced approach. Not surprisingly, there is a strong connection between war and famine, as fighting often affects food production and trade. In general, even the poorest communities can withstand substandard harvests and food shortages via a number of different coping ...