The document discusses the causes of famine and strategies for mitigating and preventing famine. It outlines immediate, short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations including relief efforts like food distribution; recovery actions like public works programs; development initiatives to improve agriculture; and policies around coordination, monitoring and prevention. The ultimate goal is to move from relief to recovery to development and establish long-lasting food security.

1. Why Famine and What Can Be Done? Today and For the Future Valerie Rhoe

2. What is a Famine? Catastrophic disruption to the social, economic, and institutional system Food production Food distribution Food consumption

3. Theories of Famine Malthusian Theory Distributional theories

4. Immediate Causes Drought Flooding Cyclones Low level of crop planting

5. Why Vulnerable to Famine? Chronic poverty Inadequate policies Armed conflict Corruption Environmental degradation HIV/AIDS

6. Spectrum of Policies for Mitigating Famine

7. Questions to Ask Before Mitigation What interventions should be implemented? When will their implementation be most effective?

8. Immediate Relief Quickly make food available to those suffering most Distribute food to people where they live Target the most affecter areas first Within area, aim assistance at the neediest HH Use standardize & formal guidelines for distribution Invest in health services

9. Recovery Assess famine vulnerability in all areas Labor-intensive public works programs Target public work schemes to poor HHs Provide food as payments Implement supplementary programs Private sector employment schemes Develop public & private partnerships

10. Initiating Development Deliver agricultural inputs to farmers Introduce appropriate agricultural technologies Encourage farmers to produce staple food crops Develop institutions to improve farmer’s access to and use of new technologies & assets

11. Policy Issues Get the right combination and sequence Monitor and evaluate Coordinate the actions Work towards long-term prevention and food security

12. Sequence of Activities Price Stabilization Food Aid Employment Programs Private Food Marketing Ag Tech, Policies, & Institutions RELIEF RECOVERY Credit INITIATING DEVELOPMEN T

13. Preventing Famine: Short-Term Recommendations Produce fast-growing foods Make available fertilizer & improved seeds Disseminate knowledge on crop management Incentive to produce staple crops Create or augment strategic grain reserves Establish an array of safety net programs

14. Preventing Famine: Medium-Term Recommendations Develop low-external-input farming tech Develop profitable small-scale irrigation tech Extend credit & microfinance programs Empower women Focus agricultural extension on food security & social development

15. Preventing Famine: Medium-Term Recommendations Develop technologies that increase labor productivity and profitability Enhance market information systems Increase regional and global trade Identify, develop and expand markets Follow good governance practices Develop the rural non-farm sector

16. Preventing Famine: Long-Term Recommendations Develop staple crop hybrid varieties Create road infrastructure Reduce the role of parastatal agencies

17. In-class Discussion What are the basic activities of the program? How has this program effected society (poverty, health, education,hunger)? What are the problems with this program? Can this program help prevent famine? If so, how?