FINAL ESSAY

FOREIGN POLICY OF FRANCE

What strategy should France develop to tackle the global problem of famine?

Csucs Gergő

International Relations - BA
 Table of Contents

Introduction – Defining Famine............................................................................................. 1

Famines in the 21st century - Causes...................................................................................... 4

Consequences of Famine........................................................................................................ 5

Strategy................................................................................................................................... 9

Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 10

Bibliography........................................................................................................................... 12
 Introduction – Defining Famine

I chose this topic because I cannot imagine how excruciating it is for humans to live in

uncertainty; waking up and not knowing what to eat. Therefore, I truly hope that this essay

will help me understand the horror of famines.

First and foremost, it is crucial to define the term famine as the first step of developing

a strategy for tackling the global problem of famine. “Famine is a socio-economic process

which causes the accelerated destitution of the most vulnerable, marginal and least powerful

groups in a community, to a point where they can no longer, as a group, maintain a sustainable

livelihood. Ultimately, the process leads to the inability of the individual to acquire sufficient

food to sustain life” (Walker 1989: 6). Another definition that greatly exemplifies the broad

spectrum of famine is the following: “Famine is a process over time whereby harmful social,

economic, environmental and political factors (normally in combination) lead to a population

increasingly physiologically vulnerable to any single or series of negative events” (WFP,

Regional Office for East Africa). The previously given definition demonstrates that famine is

not exclusively limited to a shortage of food, but it takes into consideration a plethora of other

harmful external factors, which can lead to the physiological vulnerability of a population (e.g.,

famine). Taking all of the above into consideration, I have decided to work with Walker’s

definition in my essay, since the second explanation of famine appeared to be excessively

broad; thus, I would not have been able to provide a sufficient answer to the question in only

3000 words if I had used the second definition. In my essay, I developed possible strategies to

tackle the global problem of famine from the aspect of France’s Foreign Policy. I put a special

emphasis on the causes of famine, and famines in the 21st century to be able to prepare a logical

strategy.

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 1. Famines in the 21st century - Causes

After entering the new millennium, famines did not appear to be abolished, which can

be regarded as a shame of the 21st century. However, the number of famine victims has

extremely declined compared to the 20th century. As of 2000, there have been 9 famines

worldwide, affecting several countries. To be more specific, the countries that were recently

affected by famine were the following: Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Sudan, Niger, Somalia, Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Yemen, South

Sudan, Nigeria. All of them, except for Yemen happened in Africa. There is a myriad of factors

that explain why famines still occur in our days.

First, if we take a look at the available empirical data regarding famines divided into

groups based on political regimes; it is obvious that countries that have autocratic governments,

or are failed states, or have a non-democratic regime are more prone to be affected by famines.

On the contrary, in democratic countries the number of famines is negligible. As Abraham

Lincoln said: “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”. One short part of the

previously mentioned quote explains why famines never happened in democratic countries;

and that is ‘for the people’. Well-functioning democracies put the people first, following the

fundamental principles of democracy. ‘It has been persuasively argued that wars do not occur

between democracies.’ It is known that wars give rise to high-level food insecurity, which can

turn into a famine easily. To bring an example, the Yemeni Civil War also caused a still

ongoing famine (Note that Our World in Data’s figure was made before the Yemen Famine

broke out in 2016). “Shortly after independence, many African civil servants saw corruption

as an opportunity for self-enrichment. Today, corruption is still viewed by many of them in the

same manner.” (Mbaku 2007) This is also another factor that explains why there is a huge

financial gap between government officials and the average citizens. Therefore, during famine

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civil servants are not exposed to starvation. In conclusion, the form of government has a great

impact on famine outbreaks.

Second, environmental factors play a crucial role in the development of famines as well.

Climate change has been a part of public awareness in recent years, but it has had the biggest

impact on the African continent so far. “A 1 °C increase in temperature in developing countries

has been found to be associated with 2.66 % lower growth in agricultural output...” (Coumou

et al. 2016) This finding perfectly summarizes how an increase in temperature causes the

decline of agricultural output, which highly contributes to food insecurity in the long run. To

list more effects of climate change, the number of droughts immensely increased as well, it has

had a negative impact on savanna ecosystems, and there are plenty more.

“It is important to note that, as opposed to dying from literal starvation, the vast majority

of people that die during famines actually succumb to infectious disease or other illnesses, with

some diseases being more directly linked to diet than others.” (Hasell, Roser 2013) This quote

leads to my third point, which is the weak infrastructure in African countries. As it can be read

above, most of the deaths during famine are not caused by starvation, but infectious diseases.

The underdeveloped infrastructure (e.g., scarcity of clean drinking water, lack of proper

sanitation) aids the spread of virus and bacteria, which are extremely dangerous for immune

systems that are already weakened by starvation. To bring a current example, the COVID 19

pandemic has had a negative impact on these already sensitive countries. In addition, cholera,

malaria, Ebola, and several other infectious diseases afflicted famine-prone countries on the

continent of Africa.

In a nutshell, there are 3 main factors in the 21st century that could provoke the

development of famines: political, environmental, and infrastructural. The following pages will

address these factors and propose a strategy that could potentially help to tackle the idea of

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abolishing famines. Before preparing a prosperous strategy, the consequences of famine will

be discussed briefly in the following pages.

2. Consequences of Famine

When it comes to the history of global famine, the 20th century is excessively

paradoxical, since in this era famines disappeared globally speaking, on the contrary, the

greatest famine of human history happened in China, from 1959 to 1961. It is hard to determine

the exact number of deaths caused by starvation due to the lack of empirical data, but the

estimated population loss in China’s Great Famine is roughly 30 million.

The figure above substantiates a downward shift in the birth rate; however, the curve

of the death rate went up in the period of 1959-1961. This leads to the negative consequences

of famine, which could be divided into two main groups: physical/physiological effects, and

impact on the economy. On one hand, the psychological effects of starvation include anxiety,

irritability, poor concentration, and social withdrawal. On the other hand, the physical effects

cause more severe health conditions such as kidney failure, heart attack, or in the worst scenario

it can end with mortality. The previously listed effects lead to the next point, which is the

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decline of the economy and workforce. I could compare the relation of famines and economics

to a vicious circle. Basically, an extreme decline in the economy causes food shortage, which

eventually leads to famine, but the physical effects of famine on humans worsen the economy,

since it causes a decreased workforce. For this reason, it is extremely difficult for the

responsible authorities to find a solution to end famine and repair the economy without any

external financial or humanitarian aid / assistance.

3. Strategy

As I have discussed it in a previous part of my essay, the political form of a country

plays a crucial role when it comes to famines. Changing a country’s government would be the

most evident and ultimate solution for famines if this process was as complicated and

hazardous as it is. For this reason, I will exclude this option from my essay, and I will focus on

the strategy to strengthen diplomatic ties between the French Republic and the so-called

famine-prone countries in order to prevent the continuation of current famines. However, the

most effective solution for famines would be the promotion of democracy, which could be

executed via firm and close diplomatic ties.

“France and Africa’s ties are close and multidimensional. They are rooted in our

geographical proximity, long history and intense human interactions and exchanges.” (Bigot

2021). There are several existing institutions that keep French and African ties close, such as

Alliance Française or Institut français, which promote the French language and Francophone

culture all around the world, including Africa as well. Moreover, according to France

Diplomatie’s website, there are 68 French embassies and consulates functioning in Africa. All

of the above-mentioned institutions contribute to the diplomatic ties between France and

countries in Africa, which enables possible strategies to be executed easier.

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 As the first part of my strategy, I would establish institutions such as Alliance Française

or Institut français in rural, remote areas, which are primarily affected by famines. When we

attempt to find solutions for substantial problems, it is crucial to go back to that specific

problem’s roots (e.g., social inequality). Implementing institutions that balance out inequalities

would immensely prevent the development of famines. To be more specific, France should

establish an organization/ institution that educates people on how to manage agriculture to

make agricultural production increase in rural areas. This organization should be supervised

and supported by the Ministère de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation (The French Ministry of

Agriculture and Food) and INRAE (France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food,

and the Environment). These institutions have phenomenal experts, scientists in the field of

agriculture and environment, for this reason, they could develop a specific plan for enhancing

agricultural production in areas, which are often afflicted by extreme environmental factors.

Furthermore, the French Republic should contribute to fighting off famines by providing

agricultural equipment, since rural habitants in the vast majority of the cases do not have access

to advanced equipment (e.g., combine harvester, tractor, irrigation system). The above-

mentioned could lead to a long-term solution. It is important to emphasize, that by providing

only financial support or food supply the problem of famine is only temporarily mitigated, but

never solved. Therefore, establishing institutions that support agricultural education and help

the development of agricultural equipment could abolish famines in the long run.

The next segment of my essay is connected to the first part, but it focuses on the

prevention of more extreme changes in climate, which affect the development of famines

immensely. As it was discussed in the first chapter of my essay, climate change is one of the

key causes of famines, thus it is crucial to expand organizations and make agreements stricter

that deal with this issue in order to see an improvement in the number of deaths caused by

famines. To address the global problem of climate change, the Paris Agreement was adopted

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by 196 parties in Paris, on 12 December 2015. “The Paris Agreement is a legally binding

international treaty on climate change” (The Paris Agreement, n.d., UNFCC). However,

multiple scientists believe that this agreement will not fully solve the problem of climate

change, since countries are not doing enough. For this reason, it would be effective if the French

Republic proposed an idea of restricting current regulations regarding the maximum limit of

countries’ carbon dioxide emission. This action would highly contribute to the prevention of

the declining situation of climate change, which would essentially show a great improvement

in the disappearance of famines.

In the next point, the emphasis will be on humanitarian assistance provided by the

French Republic. French humanitarian aid is divided into 3 main components, one of them

(which is related to ensuring a firm level of food security in foreign countries) is the following:

“French Food Aid (AAP) is granted by decision of the Interministerial Food Aid Committee

(CIAA) and funds actions to improve resiliency and food security through NGOs and

international organizations (mainly the World Food Programme, as well as the FAO, UNRWA,

UNICEF and ICRC).” (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, n.d., France’s Humanitarian

Strategy) The document published by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs states that

as a response to growing needs for humanitarian aid, France will increase the official

development assistance to 0.55% of GDP in the year of 2022. The wider budget will allow

humanitarian assistance to be distributed within a larger area. However, it will only reduce a

part of the need for humanitarian aid, therefore the amount of money to be used for the above-

mentioned purpose should be further increased in order to completely abolish famines.

To continue with, there will be recommendations to improve the weak infrastructure of

famine-prone countries, in order to prevent the spread of virus and bacteria, which are

extremely dangerous to immune systems that are already weakened by continuous starvation.

“Augmenter de manière urgente et significative les investissements dans les infrastructures et

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la promotion de l’hygiène, en donnant la priorité aux personnes les plus exposées aux

épidémies de COVID-19 et d’Ebola.” (Byrne 2021) Byrne’s quote means the following:

Urgently and significantly increase investments in infrastructure and promotion of hygiene,

prioritizing those who are at most risk from the epidemics of COVID-19 and Ebola. These

words perfectly explain how recent epidemics made the situation severe. For this reason,

promoting the immediate improvement of infrastructure and sanitation became excessively

important.

“More than 70 per cent of the population in Eastern and Southern Africa (340 million people)

have no access to basic sanitation services.” (UNICEF, n.d., Sanitation and hygiene) The

previous quote immaculately exemplifies how severe the situation of basic sanitation is in

Eastern and Southern Africa. For this reason, it is crucial for the French Government to

financially support organizations, such as UNICEF in order to see mass improvement in the

prevention of the further spread of deadly virus and bacteria.

The next crucial element of the strategy focuses on the connection between individual

farmers and markets. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is already making efforts to

make farmers capable of selling their crops. “The WFP also teaches farmers sustainable

practices that increase the value of their crops and boost national food security over time.”

(Bandera 2013) This process is based on the steady capital provided by the World Food

Programme. The French Republic could contribute to this initiative in two main ways. First,

they could provide financial aid to increase the amount of steady capital. Second, France could

provide professionals from INRAE (France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture,

Food, and the Environment) to aid the theoretical part of the process initiated by the World

Food Programme.

Finally, the last point of my strategy accentuates the importance of raising public

awareness about the phenomenon of famines in the 21st century. All of the previously

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described points of strategy are worth nothing if there are not enough resources (mainly

financial, but not exclusively) at our disposition. For this reason, this segment of the strategy

is unequivocally the most crucial part. The media plays a huge role in raising awareness,

especially social media, therefore a possible way could be making interviews with people who

are affected by famine. This way the public would be able to somewhat experience the adversity

that starving people fight against on a daily basis, in order to stay alive. “Ordinary people can

help to end famine simply by spreading awareness and contacting their friends, families, and

legislators. Such awareness can put pressure on legislators to implement programs that combat

famine.” (Bandera 2013) As Bandera asserts in her article, by spreading awareness even

ordinary people can get authorities to act.

As a conclusion of the chapter named ‘Strategy’, it cannot be neglected that all of the

above-listed points are based on the assumption of strong diplomatic ties between the French

Republic and other foreign countries that are primarily affected by famine. Moreover, there

must be a global cooperation between the so-called first world countries since France alone is

not capable of tackling the global problem of famine. For this reason, it is extremely important

for France to establish and nurture diplomatic relations with foreign countries that are capable

of assisting the process. To be realistic, the French Republic is in an advantageous position

from this perspective, because a plethora of countries has close ties with France. Therefore,

there is a great possibility of successfully executing plans regarding the aim of abolishing

famines.

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 4. Conclusion

In the final essay prepared for the class of Foreign Policy of France, I examined the

causes, consequences of famine in depth. Moreover, the core of my essay was developing a

detailed strategy, which aids to tackle the global problem of famine. All of my included points

were intended to represent the interests of the French Republic. To be able to properly execute

the given task, I used several primary sources from the documents of the French Government.

I believe this way, I could work with first-hand information, which is unbiased.

First, I examined famines in the 21st century in order to fully understand how current

this issue is. Afterward, the consequences of a famine were discussed to exemplify how

famines have a huge impact on the society, and economy. As the final part of my essay, the

strategy itself was introduced in depth. This chapter was divided into six main segments, which

are the following:

1. Establishing institutions / organizations that help avoid the spread of famines.

2. Restricting current regulations regarding the environment. (e.g., Paris Agreement)

3. Developing and increasing humanitarian assistance.

4. Improving infrastructure in famine-prone countries.

5. Connecting farmers to markets.

6. Spreading awareness.

This essay immensely helped me to understand the seriousness of famines and it made me

realize not to neglect the global problem, which affects millions of people’s lives nowadays. I

find it crucial to raise awareness, so that each of us can understand that not everyone is lucky

enough to live in the prosperity that we tend to take for granted.

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