Political Routes to Starvation: Why Does Famine Kill?

Bas Dianda

Vernon Press, Apr 30, 2018 - Political Science - 432 pages

 This book seeks to reclassify famine by offering an in-depth look at the phenomenon that continues to affect millions of people across the world every year. Defined as a widespread scarcity of food, Dr. Basilio Dianda argues that the causes of famine cannot be reduced exclusively to a shortfall in agricultural output or to economic dynamics. Instead, an analysis of famine must take into account political and economic factors as well as agricultural, climatologic and demographic data. 

‘Political Routes to Starvation’ is the result of an all-encompassing analysis of eighty famines from across the globe. This extensive piece of research demonstrates that there are not only multiple factors at play in the genesis of a food crisis, but also in its evolution to starvation. Dianda contends that in order to fully understand the causes of famine it is necessary to reinstate a hierarchy between foundation and concomitant causes, especially when cross-comparing cases. Importantly, Dianda maintains that only a comprehensive approach to famine can appropriately answer the questions: What is famine? How does famine occur? Why does famine kill?

Contents

• Definitions and Classification of Famine: 2
• 1 FPDFamine: 5
• The Concept of Avoidable Starvation: 7
• Staging of Food Shortage: 11
• PART2 Routes to Famine: 15
• Main Routes to Starvation: 16
• 1 Routes to Starvation: 17
• Meaning of FPDbased Classification: 19
• FPDFamines: 22
• Natural Disasters: 23
• 1888Ethiopian Famine: 26
• Locust Infestation: 28
• Warfare: 31
• Role of Warfare: 34
• Role of Specific Determinants: 37
• Food Riots: 41
• 1 Rebellious Regions in China 1907: 45
• NONFPD FAMINES: 48
• Siege: 49
• Siege of Jerusalem: 50
• Siege of Vienna: 52
• Siege of Leningrad: 53
• 1 Icy Road to Leningrad: 54
• Siege of Stalingrad: 55
• Dutch Famine: 57
• Biafra Famine: 59
• 1 Biafra: 60
• Nuba Mountain Siege: 64
• 1 Kordofan: 66
• Siege of Aleppo: 67
• Flawed Transportation System: 69
• Orissa Famine: 70
• 2 Orissa Famine and Chilka Lake Area: 72
• Vietnam Famine: 73
• Transportation System and Famine: 77
• PART3 Economically Related Famines: 79
• Food Prices: 80
• Role of High Food Prices: 81
• Purchasing Power: 84
• 1974Bangladesh Famine: 88
• 3 Bangladesh Famine: 93
• Henan Famine in 1593: 94
• Impact of the Global Market: 97
• Food Prices Current Situation: 100
• Hoarding: 103
• Hoarding: 104
• Great Persian Famine 1870: 106
• Cash Crops: 108
• Definition: 109
• Commercial and Subsistence Agriculture: 111
• Uganda Famine: 114
• Niger Food Crisis: 118
• Taxation and Famine: 120
• British Fiscal Policies in Ireland: 121
• British Fiscal Policies in Bengal: 124
• French Famine: 127
• Upper Doab Famine: 130
• The Anatolian Famine 18731875: 132
• Hunan Famine: 134
• Commercially Motivated Famines: 136
• Colonial Famines: 139
• Colonial Trend in the Second Half of the 20th Century: 140
• Famines in British Colonial India: 143
• Deccan Famine in 1630: 149
• Bengali Famine 17691770: 150
• Skull Famine: 153
• Agra Famine: 155
• Rajputana Famine: 157
• Madras Famine: 159
• Regional Greediness: 186
• Political Aspects of Famine: 200
• Holodomor: 217
• Cambodian Famine: 230
• Concept of Rationing: 245
• Bihar Famine: 262
• Poor Agricultural Techniques: 277
• Limited Agricultural Production: 278
• Monoculture: 284
• The Great Famine in Europe: 286
• Czech Famine 17701771: 290
• PART6 Failed International Aid: 293
• International Humanitarian Aid: 294
• PanEuropean famine of 18161817: 298
• 1876Northern Chinese Famine: 301
• Causes of Failed Humanitarian Assistance: 304
• Denied Humanitarian Access to International Agencies: 305
• Great Ethiopian Famine: 309
• Somalia: 314
• Aid Agencies Ineptitude: 318
• Climate Change: 323
• Role of Climate Change: 324
• Anthropogenic Causes of Climate Change: 325
• The Great Frost: 329
• Volcanic Activity: 332
• Chalisa Famine: 335
• Indonesian Volcanism: 337
• PART8 Overpopulation: 341
• Overpopulation: 342
• 1989Rwanda Famine: 348
• Darfur Famine: 352
• Food Insecurity and Large Scale Migration: 356
• Ongoing Nigerian Crisis: 359
• Causes of Death during Famine: 365
• Starvation Clinical Features: 366
• Other Causes of Death: 369
• Famine Death Toll: 372
• Example of Death Toll Estimates: 375
• Facing Acute Food Crisis: 378
• FUTURE PROSPECT: 383
• Millennium Development Goals: 384
• Famine Decline: 388
• Prospect for the Future: 392
• Conclusion: 395
• Index: 411

About the author

 Dr. Basilio Dianda received his medical degree from the University of Pisa in 1988. During his degree, Dianda was involved in medical research in undernourishment and nutrition. However, it wasn’t until he attended a meeting held by a group of NGOs on food shortages several years ago that his interest in food crises developed. Dianda extensively researched the trend of undernourishment, successes and failures in the struggle against famine and the causative framework behind it. With over 25 years of medical experience, Dianda is able to offer a unique perspective to the complex phenomenon of famine. 

Bibliographic information

• Title: Political Routes to Starvation: Why Does Famine Kill?; Series in Politics
• Author: Bas Dianda
• Publisher: Vernon Press, 2018
• ISBN: 1622733096, 9781622733095
• Length: 432 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / General; Social Science / General