The Geography of Famine

Abstract

The author contends that while natural factors cause crop failures humans cause famines through war political decisions internal disruption cultural restraints poor communications and inadequate transportation. Location of high frequency famine regions have shifted as civilizations or nations emerged flourished and declined and as food demands in certain places exceeded production. Despite recent technological accomplishments there has been a worldwide failure to provide adequate food to people. In the 17th century an estimated 2 million people died of starvation and over 25 million died in the 19th century. The author explains that climate is the principal basic factor that influences the spatial distribution of crops and livestock. Droughts are caused by atmospheric conditions and are not the causes of most famines and different cultures deal with food supply in various ways depending upon their level of development. The origins of food crops and preferences include the food patterns of ancient peoples cultural pressures and eating habits. The various nutrients required by humans for normal functions are discussed. Undernutrition and malnutrition occur in food deficient regions of the world caused rarely by lack of food supply and more often by cultural practices disease and food utilization. Famine is defined as a shortage of total food in a restricted geographical area causing widespread disease and death from starvation. A famine cycle includes: crop failure/food unobtainable hunger death from starvation epidemics social disruption relief and a successful crop/food obtainable. The 5 major temporal and spatial famine regions are: 1) Northeast Africa and the Middle East 4000 BC-500 BC 2) Mediterranean Europe 500 BC-500 AD 3) Western Europe 501 AD-1500 4) Eastern Europe 1501-1700 and 5) Asia 1701-1974. The 5 basic famine types are physical transportation cultural political and overpopulation. Some contemporary food problems are overpopulation use of food as a political tool cultural bias against certain foods climate change ecological catastrophes and soil death. Famines in the UK India and Russia are described. Developing countries face food supply shortages and large scale import/export systems are needed to avert famine. Malthusian population theory and social policies the lifeboat ethic the triage ethic the current US food policy and the Golden Rule are possible strategies to be used by those who have food power.