| Publication |
2009.
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| Summary/Abstract |
By applying a widely accepted method for famine operationalization, the 2005 food crisis in Niger is categorized as a famine. This presents a unique opportunity to assess Amartya Sen's two most important famine contributions: (1) the entitlement framework for famine analysis; and (2) the hypothesis of a positive effect of democracy on famine protection. The fact that the Niger famine was caused by unfavorable terms of trade rather than a collapse in food production supports the focus of the entitlement framework on access to food; nevertheless, the belated and inadequate response to the crisis from the democratically elected Nigerien government appears to undermine the link between a pluralistic political system and effective famine protection.
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