Famine intensity and magnitude scales: a proposal for an instrumental definition of famine.
Ambiguities in current usage of the term "famine" have had tragic implications for response and accountability in a number of recent food crises. This paper proposes a new approach to defining famine based on the use of intensity and magnitude scales, where "intensity" refers to the severity of the crisis at a given location and point in time, while "magnitude" describes the aggregate impact of a crisis. The scales perform three operations on "famine": first, moving from a binary conception of "famine/no famine" to a graduated, multi-level definition; second, disaggregating the dimensions of intensity and magnitude; and third, assigning harmonised "objective" criteria in place of subjective, case-by-case judgements. If adopted, the famine scales should contribute to more effective and proportionate responses, as well as greater accountability in future food crises.
Howe
Paul
P
Institute of Development Studies, Univertsity of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9RE, UK. pwhowe@hotmail.com
Devereux
Stephen
S
D019985:Benchmarking; D004189:Disaster Planning; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D013217:Starvation; D009626:Terminology as Topic