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Making Famine History

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  • Cormac Ó Gráda

Abstract

This paper reviews recent contributions to the economics and economic history of famine. It provides a context for the history of famine in the twentieth century, which is unique. During the century, war and totalitarianism produced more famine deaths than did overpopulation and economic backwardness; yet by its end, economic growth and medical technology had almost eliminated the threat of major famines. Today's high-profile famines are "small" by historical standards. Topics analyzed include the role played by food markets in mitigating or exacerbating famine, the globalization of disaster relief, the enhanced role of human agency and entitlements, distinctive demography of certain twentieth-century famines, and future prospects for "making famine history."

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File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jel.45.1.5
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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by American Economic Association in its journal Journal of Economic Literature.

Volume (Year): 45 (2007)
Issue (Month): 1 (March)
Pages: 5-38

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Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:45:y:2007:i:1:p:5-38

Note: DOI: 10.1257/jel.45.1.5
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References

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  1. Gørgens, Tue & Meng, Xin & Vaithianathan, Rhema, 2012. "Stunting and selection effects of famine: A case study of the Great Chinese Famine," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 99-111.
  2. Rivera-Batiz, Francisco L, 2002. "Democracy, Governance, and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(2), pages 225-47, June.
  3. Guinnane, T.W. & O Grada, C., 2000. "The Workhouses and Irish Famine Mortality," Papers 00/10, College Dublin, Department of Political Economy-.
  4. Gerard J. van den Berg & Maarten Lindeboom & France Portrait, 2006. "Economic Conditions Early in Life and Individual Mortality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 290-302, March.
  5. Sherwin Rosen, 1997. "Potato Paradoxes," University of Chicago - George G. Stigler Center for Study of Economy and State 135, Chicago - Center for Study of Economy and State.
  6. Ó Gráda, Cormac, 2001. "Markets and famines : evidence from nineteenth century Finland," Open Access publications from University College Dublin urn:hdl:10197/466, University College Dublin.
  7. Wei Li & Dennis Tao Yang, 2005. "The Great Leap Forward: Anatomy of a Central Planning Disaster," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(4), pages 840-877, August.
  8. Gr da, Cormac & O'Rourke, Kevin H., 1997. "Migration as disaster relief: Lessons from the Great Irish Famine," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(01), pages 3-25, April.
  9. O Grada, Cormac, 1997. "Markets and famines: a simple test with Indian data," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 241-244, December.
  10. Shiue, Carol H., 2004. "Local Granaries and Central Government Disaster Relief: Moral Hazard and Intergovernmental Finance in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century China," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 64(01), pages 100-124, March.
  11. Mokyr, Joel & Gr Da, Cormac, 2002. "What do people die of during famines: the Great Irish Famine in comparative perspective," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(03), pages 339-363, December.
  12. Dyson, Tim & O Grada, Cormac (ed.), 2002. "Famine Demography: Perspectives from the Past and Present," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199251919, September.
  13. Houser, Daniel & Sands, Barbara & Xiao, Erte, 2009. "Three parts natural, seven parts man-made: Bayesian analysis of China's Great Leap Forward demographic disaster," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 148-159, February.
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Blog mentions

As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
  1. Markets versus Government Regulation: What are the Tail Risks? by Mark Harrison
    by Mark Harrison in Mark Harrison's blog on 2012-10-15 11:22:31
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Cited by:
  1. G淡rgens, Tue & Meng, Xin & Vaithianathan, Rhema, 2010. "Stunting and Selection Effects of Famine: A Case Study of the Great Chinese Famine," CEI Working Paper Series 2010-2, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
  2. Stefan Dercon & Catherine Porter & Maria Porter, 2010. "Live aid revisited: long-term impacts of the 1984 Ethiopian famine on children," Economics Series Working Papers CSAE WPS/2010-39, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
  3. Dercon, Stefan & Porter, Catherine, 2012. "Live aid revisited: long-term impacts of the 1984 Ethiopian famine on children," CEPR Discussion Papers 9033, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  4. Raghav Gaiha & Katsushi S. Imai & Kenneth Hill & Shantanu Mathur, 2009. "On insect infestation and agricultural productivity in developing countries," The School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 0910, Economics, The University of Manchester.
  5. Matthieu CLEMENT (GREThA UMR CNRS 5113), 2009. "Amartya Sen’s socio-economic analysis of famines: scope, limitations and extensions (In French)," Cahiers du GREThA 2009-25, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée.
  6. Jacks, David S., 2011. "Foreign wars, domestic markets: England, 1793–1815," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(02), pages 277-311, August.
  7. Gテクrgens, Tue & Meng, Xin & Vaithianathan, Rhema, 2010. "Stunting and Selection Effects of Famine: A Case Study of the Great Chinese Famine," PRIMCED Discussion Paper Series 2, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
  8. Enkelejda Havari & Franco Peracchi, 2011. "Childhood circumstances and adult outcomes: Evidence from World War II," EIEF Working Papers Series 1115, Einaudi Institute for Economic and Finance (EIEF), revised Aug 2012.
  9. Dennis Tao Yang, 2007. "China's Agricultural Crisis and Famine of 1959-61: A Survey and Comparison to Soviet Famines," Working Papers e07-4, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Economics.
  10. Lindeboom, Maarten & Portrait, France & van den Berg, Gerard J., 2010. "Long-run effects on longevity of a nutritional shock early in life: The Dutch Potato famine of 1846-1847," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 617-629, September.

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