Famine Systems: Current Theory, Recent Developments, and Future Directions
Abstract
Although humans have experienced famines for millennia, they remain a persistent feature of our contemporary world. In recent years, there have been concerns about the risk of famine in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and now Afghanistan. The famine systems model represents a new way of understanding the evolution of these crises with potentially important implications for prevention and response. Drawing on several case studies, including the siege of Leningrad during World War II, the talk will explain the current thinking around famine systems, describe recent insights into their dynamics including the different impacts on various population groups, and outline exciting future directions such as collaborations with mathematical modelers that could create a step-change in our approach to these crises.
Speaker Bio
Paul is the Director of the Feinstein International Center and Professor of the Practice at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A recognized expert on the topic of famine, he brings to his role over 17 years of experience working with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). In his last assignment, he served as WFP Country Director in Nigeria. He previously worked in Afghanistan, Uganda, and Laos and at WFP’s headquarters in Italy. Even while serving as a senior leader in WFP, Paul continued his research and publication activities on the issues of hunger, famine, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
**At the request of the speaker, this presentation will not be recorded for later viewing. Please plan to attend accordingly.**