Amartya Sen
Explanation
In the discourse of development economics and food security, the focus often shifts between "food availability" (supply-side) and "food access" (demand-side). The concept of "entitlements" provides a framework to understand how individuals acquire food through legal economic means.
Detailed Analysis:
- Amartya Sen: The concept of "entitlements" was introduced by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, most notably in his work Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation (1981). He argued that famines often occur not because of a decline in food availability (Food Availability Decline or FAD theory), but because of a failure of entitlements. An individual's "entitlement set" refers to the alternative bundles of commodities (including food) that they can command in society using the totality of rights and opportunities they possess (such as labor, trade, or production).
- M.S. Swaminathan: Renowned as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India," his work primarily focused on agricultural science, high-yielding varieties, and increasing the physical production of food.
- Verghese Kurien: Known as the "Father of the White Revolution," he was instrumental in organizing dairy cooperatives (Operation Flood) but is not the originator of the entitlement theory.
- Manmohan Singh: A prominent economist and former Prime Minister, he is best known for the economic liberalization reforms of 1991 rather than the theoretical framework of food entitlements.
Key Takeaway:
Amartya Sen's entitlement approach establishes that food security is a function of economic access and purchasing power, proving that starvation can occur even amidst adequate food supply if people lack the means to acquire it.