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Viewpoint: Determining famine: Multi-dimensional analysis for the twenty-first century

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  • Maxwell, Daniel
  • Khalif, Abdullahi
  • Hailey, Peter
  • Checchi, Francesco

Abstract

Famine was, until recently, largely a matter of historical or theoretical interest, but the “four famines” threat of 2017 demonstrated that Somalia in 2011 was not an aberration or outlier: famine is a contemporary reality and threat. Current methods of famine analysis however tend to emphasize the severity of current-status indicators as the sole dimension of analysis. This article argues that a more multi-dimensional view is required for a full understanding of famine, including not only severity but also the magnitude of the crisis, the temporal dimension or duration, and the spatial dimension or geographic specificity of the crisis. The article draws on recent experience of famine analysis in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen to demonstrate the way in which our current analytical perspective misses critical dimensions of famine, and the consequences of this for analysis, prevention, and response. A more multi-dimensional perspective sheds new light on famine dynamics, but also highlights the importance of causal analysis in addition to classification or determination.

Suggested Citation

  • Maxwell, Daniel & Khalif, Abdullahi & Hailey, Peter & Checchi, Francesco, 2020. "Viewpoint: Determining famine: Multi-dimensional analysis for the twenty-first century," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:92:y:2020:i:c:s0306919220300166
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101832
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Howe, Paul, 2018. "Famine systems: A new model for understanding the development of famines," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 144-155.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andree,Bo Pieter Johannes & Chamorro Elizondo,Andres Fernando & Kraay,Aart C. & Spencer,Phoebe Girouard & Wang,Dieter, 2020. "Predicting Food Crises," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9412, The World Bank.
    2. Tandon, Sharad & Vishwanath, Tara, 2021. "How well is humanitarian assistance targeted in fragile environments? Evidence from the announcement of a food emergency in Yemen," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Poole, Nigel & Donovan, Jason & Erenstein, Olaf, 2021. "Viewpoint: Agri-nutrition research: Revisiting the contribution of maize and wheat to human nutrition and health," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Wang,Dieter & Andree,Bo Pieter Johannes & Chamorro Elizondo,Andres Fernando & Spencer,Phoebe Girouard, 2020. "Stochastic Modeling of Food Insecurity," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9413, The World Bank.

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