"Hunger Riots": a (Geo-Political) Interpretation of (Social) Changes
'The 2008 'riots' are not related to increased food shortages. Aside from a few interruptions in supply linked to the present economic climate, basic foods were on the whole present on urban markets.'
'Hunger riots in Sub-Saharan Africa are not only explained by the rise in prices of agricultural raw materials. In fact, food insecurity has a triple origin: a decrease in the availability of products, a decline in monetary income, and the deterioration of social safety nets. Beyond this, the question is what development concept should be applied to these societies.'
Pierre Janin has been a geographer at Institut de recherche pour le développement since 1995 and works on the future of family agricultures and the management of food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa. He coordinated with B. Giblin an issue of Herodote on the issues raised by the global food crisis, and is preparing a special report entitled 'The governance of hunger' for Politique africaine.
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