A re-assessment of entitlement theory in the light of the recent famines in Africa

The paper consists of an attempt to re-assess the value of the "entitlement approach" (based on Amartya Sen's entitlement theory) to famines, and places it in a larger and more comprehensive account of famines, in the light of empirical evidence from the recent African famines. Two critical phenomena are identified by the author that entitlement theory fails to explain. First, during famines, many people choose not to consume food rather than sell vital assets. Secondly, most famine mortality is not directly related to undernutrition, but is caused by outbreaks of disease. (DÜI-Sen)