© T. M. Whitmore

Today• The “Entitlement” concept

• Geographical model of hunger

• The Irish “hunger” example of the model

© T. M. Whitmore

Amartya Sen’s Entitlement Concept

• Sen’s seminal book: Poverty and Famines:

An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation

(Oxford University Press, 1983) let to Nobel

prize in economics

• Famines/malnutrition/food scarcity/food

insecurity are NOT caused by simple food

shortages alone (production shortfalls)

• The ability of people to command or

acquire food is what is key (entitlement

shortfalls)

© T. M. Whitmore

Sen’s Entitlement Concept II• Ways to command/acquire food

Via capital (money or goods [e.g., cattle] exchanged for food)

Via income from labor/work (exchanged for food)

Via assistance (State or NGO) (could be money or food directly)

Via own production (requires access or ownership of enough quality land)

• Most households do not rely on a single source or type

A week’s food for family in NC – virtually all purchased© Peter Menzel (in Hungry Planet, 2005 Ten Speed Press)

A week’s food for refugee family from Darfur, Sudan – virtually all from aid© Peter Menzel (in Hungry Planet, 2005 Ten Speed Press)

A week’s food for family in Chad – virtually all from own production© Peter Menzel (in Hungry Planet, 2005 Ten Speed Press)

© T. M. Whitmore

The “Geographical Hunger Model”

• Need to see the problem at multiple scalesRegionalHouseholdIndividual

• “Drivers” (causes) Work at multiple scales There many different ones

• ConsequencesAlso occur at multiple scalesAlso are myrid

© T. M. Whitmore

The Geographical Hunger Model II

• Underlying ProcessesSet the possibility for entitlement

failures• Immediate Causes

Triggers of entitlement failures• Hunger Situations

Hunger consequences of entitlement failures

• Direct ConsequencesOther consequences of hunger situations

© T. M. Whitmore

Irish “hunger” of 1846-51: Underlying Processes &

background • Surplus production and appropriation &

resource competition

• The potato

• Population growth

• Crop failures and subsistence crisis throughout the nineteenth century

• Racist views toward the Irish (probably delayed help)

© T. M. Whitmore

Irish “hunger” Immediate/Proximate Causes &

Processes • Environmental Fluctuation – infection of

potato crop with Phytophthora infestons a fungal infection (late potato blight) spread by the wind

• Socio-Economic policies that deprived millions of entitlements to food

• Process – not a single event

© T. M. Whitmore

Irish “hunger” Process• Blight 1845 => 40% loss and famine in 1846

• 1846 => near 100% loss + severe winter => severe famine & disease in 1847

• 1847 - 1850 potato crop not blighted but output low due to small planting (people expected blight)

• Approximately 500,000 people were evicted, many of whom died of starvation or disease or relocated to mismanaged and inadequate poor houses (could not pay rent)

• Prices soared => even urban poor suffered (dilution of income entitlement)

© T. M. Whitmore

Irish “hunger” Process II

• Eventually the English government also initiated relief schemesWorkhouses (but served as centers of

contagion)Repeal of corn laws in 1846 (but peasants

too poor to buy food at any price)

• It was at this juncture that the Duke of Norfolk suggested that the Irish should substitute curry powder for the potato and nourish themselves on curry powder mixed with water.

© T. M. Whitmore

Irish “hunger” Process III• PM (Peel )was replaced in office in 1846 by

Lord John Russell and a Whig administration dedicated to a laissez-faire policyCharles Trevelyan, Assistant Secretary to

the Treasury under Russell, oversaw famine relief efforts. a “blame the victim” mentality: Irish

were at fault for over-dependence on potatoes and high fertility (too many kids)

The British also saw it as a “natural disaster”: blamed it on the weather and the potato fungus

• Wheat, oats, barley, butter, eggs, beef and pork were exported from the large estates Ireland in large quantities - as many as eight ships left Ireland daily carrying foodstuffs

© T. M. Whitmore

Irish “hunger” Consequences

• Starvation and disease became epidemicMore died of disease than of starvation. Most were weakened from long starvation

when they finally succumbed to typhus, cholera, dysentery, and scurvy.

At least 1 million perished• 1 – 2 + million emigrated (mostly to US and

England)• Population of Ireland

1850 = 6.5 m (from 8.5m 5 yrs earlier)1900 4.5 m => longer-term emigration,

much to US