Food Scarcity and Migration: An Overview

Population migration is a form of response - at society and household levels – either to crisis-like situations say food scarcity, drought and other climatic upheavals, civil war in sending areas, or to the opportunities (perceived and real) for material gain in receiving regions. Food shortage and associated distress have historically induced migration towards regions with better food availability. In case of acute starvation and famine, migration takes the form of sheer wondering—instinctive, desperate, and indecisive movements/roaming in search of food. Even in less acute situations, people often, though not always, evince a tendency for migration to regions of better food security. Thus, migrations, depending upon degrees of scarcity, relief, and other circumstances, could be seasonal, relatively short-lived and in nearby or local areas, but they could also be of inter-country or long-distance and of more permanent nature. This paper presents an overview of the major issues—demographic, economic, social - both in historical and contemporary contexts, and thus delineates temporal changes in the nature/pattern of migration response to food scarcity.