Comments on: Responding to Famine in Niger http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/ EthanZ's musings on Africa, media and international development Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Molly http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-118301 Molly Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-118301 I am doing a geography project on the Niger famin at the moment and this website was really helpful. THANKS I am doing a geography project on the Niger famin at the moment and this website was really helpful. THANKS

]]> By: Saswat Blog » Blog of the Day: Ethan Zuckerman’s heart in Accra http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-402 Saswat Blog » Blog of the Day: Ethan Zuckerman’s heart in Accra Thu, 04 Aug 2005 02:05:33 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-402 [...] like about Ethan is his efforts to put African bloggers on the network of the first world. And by that alone, he has added a lot to a divergent discussion already. --> [...] [...] like about Ethan is his efforts to put African bloggers on the network of the first world. And by that alone, he has added a lot to a divergent discussion already. –> [...]

]]> By: Owen Barder http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-399 Owen Barder Wed, 03 Aug 2005 02:50:22 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-399 Ethan - thank you for continuing to draw attention to this. As you say in your post, a sophisticated response is needed to this crisis. As I explain in <a href="http://www.owen.org/blog/2005/08/02/famine-is-not-usually-caused-by-the-absence-of-food/" rel="nofollow">my post today</a>, sending food aid is not always the best response to a famine - often what is required is money. Owen http://www.owen.org/blog http://blogs.cgdev.org/vaccine Ethan – thank you for continuing to draw attention to this. As you say in your post, a sophisticated response is needed to this crisis. As I explain in my post today, sending food aid is not always the best response to a famine – often what is required is money.

Owen
http://www.owen.org/blog
http://blogs.cgdev.org/vaccine

]]> By: Josh http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Josh Wed, 03 Aug 2005 01:39:04 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-398 Over the last two days I've posted appeals for readers to donate to the World Food Programme and other relief orgs. Thanks for providing more context and info. Your work is inspiring for startup bloggers with a conscience. Over the last two days I’ve posted appeals for readers to donate to the World Food Programme and other relief orgs. Thanks for providing more context and info. Your work is inspiring for startup bloggers with a conscience.

]]> By: Keith http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-396 Keith Tue, 02 Aug 2005 18:27:55 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-396 Thanks for this, Ethan. I will be linking to this in the next few days. I appreciate your thinking on the issues. Thanks for this, Ethan. I will be linking to this in the next few days. I appreciate your thinking on the issues.

]]> By: Ethan http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-387 Ethan Mon, 01 Aug 2005 18:11:44 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-387 I'm not quite with you on the argument that food shortages help limit population growth, Ben - that reads as a bit Malthusian to me. But I think it's worth being worried about unintended consequences of food aid. It's well documented that food aid can destroy markets for locally produced foodstuffs, if donors aren't careful. I'm with you on the general sense that we should be investing disproportionally in development over relief... but I'm afraid that there are situations (and likely that there always will be situations) where relief is neccesary, at least in the short term. Thanks for writing... I’m not quite with you on the argument that food shortages help limit population growth, Ben – that reads as a bit Malthusian to me. But I think it’s worth being worried about unintended consequences of food aid. It’s well documented that food aid can destroy markets for locally produced foodstuffs, if donors aren’t careful.

I’m with you on the general sense that we should be investing disproportionally in development over relief… but I’m afraid that there are situations (and likely that there always will be situations) where relief is neccesary, at least in the short term.

Thanks for writing…

]]> By: Ben http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2005/08/01/responding-to-famine-in-niger/comment-page-1/#comment-386 Ben Mon, 01 Aug 2005 17:37:16 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=116#comment-386 I try to avoid sounding callous when I speak of this topic but what are your thoughts concerning te idea that the very type of aid that is given to countries such as Ethiopia, Niger, and Zimbabwe are themsleves part of the problem in that they create a false economy where there is more food in these countries than they can legitematly produce reducing or eliminating the natural shrinkage of the populations that should occur to bring food production and consumption into greater balance. My preferenvce would be to have aid going toward education, infrastructure improvements, vocational training, equipement, and even relocation rather than to food. Is this line of thinking misguided? I try to avoid sounding callous when I speak of this topic but what are your thoughts concerning te idea that the very type of aid that is given to countries such as Ethiopia, Niger, and Zimbabwe are themsleves part of the problem in that they create a false economy where there is more food in these countries than they can legitematly produce reducing or eliminating the natural shrinkage of the populations that should occur to bring food production and consumption into greater balance.

My preferenvce would be to have aid going toward education, infrastructure improvements, vocational training, equipement, and even relocation rather than to food. Is this line of thinking misguided?

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