Thesis. 1975. Sc.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil Engineering. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 241-250. / Sc.D.

This thesis explores the origin of one of the most engrossing concerns of the post-colonial Indian state, that is, its extensive, intricate, and expensive feeding arrangements for the civilians. It tracks the colonial origin of the post-colonial welfare state, of which state-management of food is one of the most publicized manifestations. This thesis examines the intervention of the late colonial British state in food procurement and distribution in India during the Second World War, and various forms of such intervention, such as the introduction of food rationing and food austerity laws. It argues that the war necessitated actions on the part of the colonial state to secure food supplies to a vastly expanded British Indian Army, to the foreign Allied troops stationed in India, and to the workers employed in war-industries. The thesis brings forth the constitutional and political predicaments that deprived the colonial central government's food administration of success. It further reveals how the bitter bargaining about food imports into India between the Government of India and the War Cabinet in Britain hampered the state efforts to tackle the food crisis. By discussing the religious and cultural codes vis-à-vis food consumption that influenced government food policies, this thesis has situated food in the historiography of consumption in colonial India. In addition to adopting a political approach to study food, it has also applied sociological treatment, particularly while dealing with how the wartime scarcity, and consequent austerity laws, forced people to accept novel consumption cultures. It also contributes to the historiography of 'everyday state'. Through its wartime intervention in everyday food affairs, the colonial state that had been distant and abstract in the perception of most common households, suddenly became a reality to be dealt with in everyday life within the domestic site. Thus, the macro state penetrated micro levels of existence. The colonial state now even developed elaborate food surveillance to gather intelligence about violation of food laws. This thesis unravels the responses of some of the political and religious organizations to state intervention in quotidian food consumption. Following in this vein, through a study of the political use of famine-relief in wartime Bengal, it introduces a new site to the study of communal politics in India, namely, propagation of Hindu communal politics through distribution of food by the Hindu Mahasabha party. Further, it demonstrates how the Muslim League government's failure to prevent the Great Bengal Famine of 1943-44 was politically used by the Mahasabha to oppose the League's emerging demand for the creation of Pakistan.

Dans un pays sahélien comme le Niger, l'espace social dédié à l'alimentaire est culturellement riche de savoirs. Pourtant, peu d'écrits font de ce constat un objet d'étude sociologiquement pertinent. La présente réflexion se donne pour tâche d'analyser la portée des déterminants culturels dans la survenance des famines. S'appuyant sur des matériaux de nature socio-anthropologiques, cette thèse met en exergue des problèmes de gouvernance pour expliquer le prégnance des crises de subsistance. Malgré le poids des facteurs culturels sous-tendant le modèle de consommation des Gouréens, il est intellectuellement risqué d'affirmer que les tabous alimentaires peuvent constituer des causes sérieuses de disettes dans cette partie du Niger confrontée à une succession de déficit de productions vivrières. Toutefois, notre contribution montre que ces interdits demeurent un élément amplificateur, surtout dans des milieux à forte croyance traditionnelle. La méthodologie utilisée tout au long de cette démarche se fonde sur des méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives et prend appui sur divers outils de collecte comme les guides d'entretien semi-directifs, les focus groups et un questionnaire de type CAP (connaissance, attitudes, pratiques). / In a Sahelian country like Niger, the space dedicated to food is culturally rich for learnings. However, there are a few writings which make this as a valid sociologically subject of study. This reflection gives itself a taskto analyze the scope of cultural determinants in the occurence of famines. Based on socio-anthropological materials, this thesis highlights social governance to explain the salience of subsistence crises. Despite the weight of cultural factors underlying consumption model of the people in Goure, it is intellectually risky to assert that food taboos may constitute serious causes of food shortages in this part of Niger which faces a succession of food production deficit. However, our contribution shows that these taboos remain enhancing element, especially in high-traditional belief backgrounds. The methodology used in this approach is based on qualitative and quantitative methods using the following collection tools : semi-structured interview guides, focus groups and a questionnaire type KAP (knpwledge, attitudes, practices).

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Miljoene mense ervaar voedselonsekerheid en een uit elke 50 hanger mense is woonagtig in Suid­ Afrika. Daar is genoeg voedsel op ons planeet om elke mens van 'n voldoende voorraad voedsel te verseker; dit waarborg egter nie voedselsekuriteit aan almal nie. Dit is die voedselparadoks: ondanks globale surplusproduksie van voedsel, ly miljoene mense wereldwyd aan wanvoeding en honger, maar veral in die ontwikkelende lande. Suid-Afrika is geen uitsondering nie en ten spyte van selfvoorsiening in voedsel, balanseer die voedselgelykstelling nie. Daar bestaan 'n ekstreme gaping tussen die produksie en verbruik van voedsel. Gevolglik is die probleem wat nagevors is in hierdie studie die gebrek aan voedselsekuriteit binne 'n wereldkonteks met voedselsurplusse en hoe dit reflekteer in Suid-Afrika. Teen hierdie agtergrond is daar 'n studie gedoen van die oorsake van voedselonsekerheid en die teoriee en verduidelikings van hongersnood. Die fokus van hierdie navorsingstudie is drieledig van aard. Eerstens fokus dit op 'n konseptuele ondersoek na hanger, armoede, voedselsekuriteit en hongersnood in Afrika. Tweedens is ondersoek ingestel na die oorsake vir die gebrek aan voedselsekuriteit in Afrika. Derdens is daar gefokus op Suid-Afrika en is 'n ondersoek gedoen na die voorkoms van hanger, wanvoeding, armoede en die nasionale konteks van voedselsekuriteit met die doel om vraagstukke daaromheen te identifiseer. Daar is bevind dat voedselsekuriteit bepaal word deur die beskikbaarheid van voedsel (aanbod) en die vermoe van mense om dit te bekom (aanvraag). Dit blyk dat die ontwikkelingsproses, regeringsbeleid, ekologiese omgewing en tegnologie, wetenskap en navorsing 'n direkte invloed het op die voedselsekuriteit van mense, en dat Suid-Afrika nie verskil van ander Afrikalande in hierdie verband nie. Hoewel Suid-Afrika voedselselfvoorsiening bereik het, ly miljoene mense honger weens armoede en die gebrek aan aansprake wat bydra tot 'n gebrek aan voedselsekuriteit. Die studie toon dat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering verskeie beleidsmaatreels in plek het ter bevordering van voedselsekuriteit, maar dat dit nie in die praktyk verwesenlik word nie. / Millions of people in the world experience food insecurity and one out ofevery 50 hungry people lives in South Africa. There is enough food on our planet to assure every person of an adequate supply of food; however, this does not guarantee food security for all. This is the food paradox: despite a global surplus production of food, millions of people experience malnutrition and hunger all over the world, but especially in the developing countries. South Africa is no exception and despite self-sufficiency in food, the food equation is not balanced. An extreme gap exists between the production and consumption of food. Consequently, the problem researched in this study is the lack of food security in a world context with surplus food and how this is reflected in South Africa. Against this background a study was undertaken of the causes of food insecurity and the theories and explanations of famine. The focus of this research study is threefold. Firstly it focuses on a conceptual enquiry intohunger, poverty, food security and famine in Africa. Secondly there is an enquiry into the causes of the lack of food security in Africa. Thirdly it focuses on South Africa and an enquiry is done into the incidence of hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and into the national context of food security with the aim of identifying relevant problems in food security. It was found that food security is determined by the availability of food (supply) and the capability of people to obtain it (demand). It appears that the development process, government policy, ecological environment and technology, science and research directly affect the food security of people, and that South Africa does not differ from other African countries in this regard. Although South Africa has achieved food self-sufficiency, millions of people experience hunger because of poverty and the lack of entitlements. The study shows that the South African government has various policy measures for the promotion of food security in place, but that food security does not materialise in practice. / Development Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Ontwikkelingsadministrasie)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Miljoene mense ervaar voedselonsekerheid en een uit elke 50 hanger mense is woonagtig in Suid­ Afrika. Daar is genoeg voedsel op ons planeet om elke mens van 'n voldoende voorraad voedsel te verseker; dit waarborg egter nie voedselsekuriteit aan almal nie. Dit is die voedselparadoks: ondanks globale surplusproduksie van voedsel, ly miljoene mense wereldwyd aan wanvoeding en honger, maar veral in die ontwikkelende lande. Suid-Afrika is geen uitsondering nie en ten spyte van selfvoorsiening in voedsel, balanseer die voedselgelykstelling nie. Daar bestaan 'n ekstreme gaping tussen die produksie en verbruik van voedsel. Gevolglik is die probleem wat nagevors is in hierdie studie die gebrek aan voedselsekuriteit binne 'n wereldkonteks met voedselsurplusse en hoe dit reflekteer in Suid-Afrika. Teen hierdie agtergrond is daar 'n studie gedoen van die oorsake van voedselonsekerheid en die teoriee en verduidelikings van hongersnood. Die fokus van hierdie navorsingstudie is drieledig van aard. Eerstens fokus dit op 'n konseptuele ondersoek na hanger, armoede, voedselsekuriteit en hongersnood in Afrika. Tweedens is ondersoek ingestel na die oorsake vir die gebrek aan voedselsekuriteit in Afrika. Derdens is daar gefokus op Suid-Afrika en is 'n ondersoek gedoen na die voorkoms van hanger, wanvoeding, armoede en die nasionale konteks van voedselsekuriteit met die doel om vraagstukke daaromheen te identifiseer. Daar is bevind dat voedselsekuriteit bepaal word deur die beskikbaarheid van voedsel (aanbod) en die vermoe van mense om dit te bekom (aanvraag). Dit blyk dat die ontwikkelingsproses, regeringsbeleid, ekologiese omgewing en tegnologie, wetenskap en navorsing 'n direkte invloed het op die voedselsekuriteit van mense, en dat Suid-Afrika nie verskil van ander Afrikalande in hierdie verband nie. Hoewel Suid-Afrika voedselselfvoorsiening bereik het, ly miljoene mense honger weens armoede en die gebrek aan aansprake wat bydra tot 'n gebrek aan voedselsekuriteit. Die studie toon dat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering verskeie beleidsmaatreels in plek het ter bevordering van voedselsekuriteit, maar dat dit nie in die praktyk verwesenlik word nie. / Millions of people in the world experience food insecurity and one out ofevery 50 hungry people lives in South Africa. There is enough food on our planet to assure every person of an adequate supply of food; however, this does not guarantee food security for all. This is the food paradox: despite a global surplus production of food, millions of people experience malnutrition and hunger all over the world, but especially in the developing countries. South Africa is no exception and despite self-sufficiency in food, the food equation is not balanced. An extreme gap exists between the production and consumption of food. Consequently, the problem researched in this study is the lack of food security in a world context with surplus food and how this is reflected in South Africa. Against this background a study was undertaken of the causes of food insecurity and the theories and explanations of famine. The focus of this research study is threefold. Firstly it focuses on a conceptual enquiry intohunger, poverty, food security and famine in Africa. Secondly there is an enquiry into the causes of the lack of food security in Africa. Thirdly it focuses on South Africa and an enquiry is done into the incidence of hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and into the national context of food security with the aim of identifying relevant problems in food security. It was found that food security is determined by the availability of food (supply) and the capability of people to obtain it (demand). It appears that the development process, government policy, ecological environment and technology, science and research directly affect the food security of people, and that South Africa does not differ from other African countries in this regard. Although South Africa has achieved food self-sufficiency, millions of people experience hunger because of poverty and the lack of entitlements. The study shows that the South African government has various policy measures for the promotion of food security in place, but that food security does not materialise in practice. / Development Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Ontwikkelingsadministrasie)