Factors Affecting the Severity of Famine
- Famine is the result of an extreme lack of food
- Famine can cause extreme malnutrition, starvation and even death
- Numerous factors affect the severity of a famine
Global pattern of hunger in 2020
Governance
- Some governments do not prioritise food supply in their country, resulting in a higher risk of famine
- In Liberia, soils are perfect for agricultural production. However, there is very little access to tools and resources, so more food is imported at a higher price
- If people can’t afford food, this results in a Food Entitlement Deficit (FED)
- In other countries, famine would most likely not occur, as food is produced in excess e.g. in more developed countries
- Conflict and corruption can severely impact food security:
- If corruption exists in a country, there is very little focus on economic development and providing citizens with food
- Conflict can cause displacement; many people become refugees and have food access restrictions
- Corrupt governments may also misuse foreign aid
- People may have to spend their vital income on food bribes, as there is less food to go around
- Food may be weaponised in a conflict, limiting people’s access
- Conflicts can damage crops and kill livestock, reducing food availability
- If food availability goes down, this results in a Food Availability Deficit (FAD)
- How governments deal with famine also impacts the severity
- The Great Famine of 1845 (potato famine) in Ireland resulted from potato blight
- The British government exacerbated the famine
- Britain sent in grain as food support, but Ireland didn’t have enough infrastructure to process the grain
- Poor and starving people were forced out of their homes by their British landlords as they couldn’t afford rent
- Exports to the rest of Britain, of meat and other high-quality food products continued throughout the famine
Power of the media
- Media campaigns can make people more aware of a famine situation in another country e.g. the news
- Images of famine-stricken areas can often play with people’s emotions
- This means that people are more likely to donate money
- With the rise of social media, this is even more prevalent
- Celebrities support fundraising campaigns e.g. Live Aid concerts to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia
- Media campaigns may cover up the root cause of the issue, manipulating viewers and donors
- Continuous media barrages may cause compassion fatigue
Aid availability
- Other countries send food aid or funding to support food shortages after conflicts or disasters
- Governments or non-government organisations (NGOs) and charities donate money
- Aid may be provided but under certain conditions
- This results in an uneven power complex
- Countries become dependent on aid, making it difficult for future development
- With food aid, food supplies will naturally increase in the country
- This lifts people out of food insecurity
- Increased food supplies cause local food prices to go down, impacting local producers
- Farmers may also be less inclined to produce food
- Food aid may be stopped if it is handled incorrectly
- USAID and the World Food Programme sent food aid to Tigray in Ethiopia in 2023
- Food was being mishandled, diverted and stolen
- This resulted in a Food Pause, causing even more deaths
Population
- The global population is growing, resulting in the need for more food
- If the population grows in an area at risk of food shortages, this could increase the risks of famine
- More land is used for housing instead of food production
- Thomas Malthus, an economist and demographic theorist, stated that:
‘Famine will be inevitable as the population rises because food production simply cannot keep up’
- Although there have been many arguments against Malthusian Theory, many of Malthus’ ideas seem to make sense in less developed nations
Poverty
- In areas already facing extreme poverty, famine severity may be high
- Famers may not have access to technology to support agricultural production
- They rely on more traditional methods, which may not be productive
- Countries may export more of their food, whilst not being able to afford to import food, resulting in food shortages
- Countries may have poor-quality transport infrastructure to distribute food
Physical characteristics
- Climate can impact how severe a famine may be
- In places with warmer climates, drought is more likely to occur
- Climate change may bring more severe droughts and reduced rainfall
- This can impact the success of crop yields
- Droughts that last a long time also create a higher risk of famine
- How the land is used could also impact famine
- Some land is converted for non-food crops e.g. food for animals or biofuels
- This reduces the amount of land available for food growth, possibly causing or exacerbating existing famine
- Natural disasters like hurricanes, flooding or earthquakes can damage crops, causing severe famine