Famine

Is the Era of Great Famines Over? - The New York Times
The New York Times reports: "How did Ethiopia go from being the world’s symbol of mass famines to fending off starvation? Thanks partly to some good fortune, but mostly to peace, greater transparency and prudent planning. Ethiopia’s success in averting another disaster is confirmation that famine is elective because, at its core, it is an artifact and a tool of political repression."

Comment: I like this op-ed because it highlights an essential truth about famine. In the modern world, people most often go hungry for political reasons (like the famine in North Korea) rather than natural or climate-related reasons.  Peace and good-governance can be as effective as modern farming techniques in defeating famine.