The recent occurrences of famine in Ethiopia and Southern Africa have propelled this key issue back into the public arena for the first time since 1984, as once again it becomes a priority -  not only for lesser developed countries but also for the international community.

Exploring the paradox that is the persistence of famine in the contemporary world, this book looks at the way the nature of famine is changing in the face of globalization and shifting geo-political forces.

The book challenges perceived wisdom about the causes of famine and analyzes the worst cases of recent years ? including close analysis of food scarcity in North Korea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Malawi and less well known cases in Madagascar, Iraq and Bosnia. With fresh conceptual frameworks and analytical tools, major theoretical constructs which have previously been applied to analyze famines (such as the 'democracy ends famine' argument, Sen’s 'entitlement approach' and the 'complex political emergency' framework) are confronted.

This volume assembles an international team of contributors, including Marcus Noland, Alex de Waal and Dan Maxwell; an impressive roster which helps make this book an important resource for those in the fields of development studies and political economics.

1. Introduction: From ‘Old Famines’ to ‘New Famines’ 2. Famine Scales: Towards an Instrumental Definition of ‘Famine’ 3. The Criminalization of Mass Starvations: From Natural Disaster to Crime Against Humanity 4. Sen’s Entitlement Approach: Critiques and Counter-Critiques 5. AIDS, Hunger and Destitution: Theory and Evidence for the ‘New Variant Famines’ Hypothesis in Africa 6. Pre-Modern, Modern and Postmodern Famine in Iraq: 1990-2003 7. Malawi’s First Famine: 2001-2 8. An Atypical Urban Famine: Antananarivo, Madagascar 1985-6 9. North Korea as a ‘New’ Famine 10. Why Do Famines Persist in the Horn of Africa? Ethiopia: 1999-2003 11. Increased Rural Vulnerability in the Era of Globalization: Conflict and Famine in Sudan during the 1990s 12. Why Are There No Longer ‘War Famines’ in Contemporary Europe? The Case of the Besieged Areas of Bosnia: 1992-5 13. Is Democracy the Answer? Famine Prevention in Two Indian States 14. Can GM Crops Prevent Famine in Africa? 15. Priority Regimes and Famine