Famine. This item is unavailable.Famine

Experts in the fields of disaster relief, economics, ecology, and human nutrition provide a broad understanding of the complex nature of famine and its predisposing causes. They explore both practical and theoretical issues, and question many widely-held assumptions. Among the topics addressed are whether famines are caused by natural calamities or by failure of the socio-economic system, the difference between famine and chronic malnutrition, and the nutritional diseases associated with famine. Self-sufficiency in food production as a desirable goal is discussed, as is the way tropical soils become infertile when converted to agricultural use. The contributors conclude that solutions can be found to this seemingly intractable dilemma, but progress depends on a willingness to cross the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines.