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Development Economics > Famines > Flashcards

Famines Flashcards

1
Q

what is a famine

A

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

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2
Q

what causes the mortality in famines

A

drought is rarely mentioned
- many different initial causes of famines

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3
Q

is famine an act of god

A
  • 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
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4
Q

is famine an act of man

A
  • 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
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5
Q

Sens labelled famine theroies

FED FAD

A

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

FED = Food entitlement decline

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6
Q

what is the Food availability decline about

is this theory viable

A
  • 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
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7
Q

climate can sometimes lead to famine

A
  • drought and
    war, no coping strategies, late interventions
  • drought causes crop failure
  • but vulnerability to drought causes famine
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8
Q

FAD theory of population

A

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

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9
Q

FAD neo Malthusians

A

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

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10
Q

other theory to famine being caused by a shortage of food

A

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

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11
Q

what are the 4 categroies of entitlement for individuals

A
  1. trade based = what i can sell
  2. production based = what i make
  3. own labour = working
  4. inheritance = willingly given
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12
Q

what is the difference between endowments and exchange

A

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

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13
Q

what is endoment failure = starvation if change in his endowments

A
  • loss of labour
  • crop failure
  • livestock die
  • flooding of land
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14
Q

what is exchange failure

A
  • fall in wages
  • rise in food prices
  • loss of employment
  • drop inprice of good i buy or sell
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15
Q

how are endoments and exchange relationship

A

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

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16
Q

graph what happens when endowments collapse

A
  • Direct Entitlement Failure
  • livestock die
    = entitlement set does not contain enough food to avoid starvation
17
Q

graph what happends when exchange collapse

A

Trade Entitlement Failure

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

18
Q

what are the strengths of FED

A
  • 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
19
Q

how should the policies change depending on FAD - FED

A
  • should create more entitlements
  • reduce the vulnerability to famine
  • employment programmes = food in exchange for work - could miss vulnerable
  • or cash = inflationary
20
Q

how can it explain food exported

A

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

21
Q

limitations of SEN entitlement theory

A
  • 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
22
Q

what is effective demand failure

A

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

23
Q

what is market failure

A

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

24
Q

what are the 2 market failures

A

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

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

25
Q

policy implications for the 2 failures that cause famine

A

effective demand failure
- transfer food/cash

pure market failure = government needs to substitute for market
- move food into affected areas

26
Q

why do sharp price movements matter

A

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

27
Q

why does market distance matter

A
  • Desai = the more markets you have to go throughto convert endowments into consumption the more vulnerable you are
  • farmers least vulnerable
28
Q

what is market dependence profit motive and inequality

A
  • 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
29
Q

what are the market response failures

A

hoarding and speculation

hoarding = precautionary savings = wants to protect

speculation = will save to sell = make money

30
Q

why is hoarding bad

A
  • artificial scarcities
  • raises prices
31
Q

why hoarding can cause overreactions
1974 Bangladesh famine

A
  • 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
32
Q

how are pessimistic expectations self fulfilling

A
  • if you expect price increase and hold crops
  • you holding crops itself will increase price s
  • small farmers consume morr = further reducing supply
33
Q

why do prices rise

A
  • 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
34
Q

fragmented markets what are they

A

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

35
Q

what are the 2 contributions to famine via Fragmented markets

A
  1. transport
  2. spatial price differentials
36
Q

fragmented markets role of transport networks

A

Development Economics (5 decks)

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