Paper details
| Paper authors | Paul Howe, Merry Fitzpatrick and Daniel Maxwell Feinstein International Center Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy Tufts University |
| In panel on | Famine and Food Insecurity: New Trends and Systems or Politics as usual? |
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Abstract
Five Levels of Famine Prevention: Towards a Framework for the 21st Century and Beyond
Abstract
In recent years, the world has faced a rapid rise in humanitarian needs and an increasing risk of famine. Given the potential threats posed by climate change, conflict, economic shocks, new pandemics, and other emerging issues, it is important to be prepared for the possibility of new crises in the future. This paper draws on extensive key informant interviews and a literature review to assess the current state-of-the-art in famine prevention policy and practice, examining both technical approaches, such as humanitarian responses, early warning, anticipatory action, the triple nexus, resilience, and development, and political efforts, including accountability mechanisms and humanitarian diplomacy. It identifies key emerging lessons about the effectiveness and contributions of each of these approaches. Based on these empirical findings, it suggests that it is possible to identify five levels of famine prevention: averting famine, or reacting to existing crises; anticipating famine, or responding early to emerging crises; mitigating famine risks, or reducing vulnerability to possible crises; altering famine risks, or influencing the current trends that generate crises; and preventing famine risks, or proactively shaping emerging trends and preparing for potential issues to eliminate future crises. It argues that all five levels need to be engaged simultaneously but that the current focus is on a relatively narrow set of approaches and that implementation is uneven. It analyzes the tradeoffs involved and concludes that a more comprehensive approach involving all the levels could contribute to a global famine prevention framework for the 21st century and beyond.
