Dan Espen wrote:

Most famines are caused by wars or natural catastrophes.
Democracies were pretty uncommon in the pre-industrial era.

I'm at a loss to understand what the point is.

The point is that famines are caused by political systems. In a functioning
democracy, food can be supplied by the central government. In other words, a
democratic government is the solution to difficulties caused by natural
disasters. In totalitarian governments, often the government is the cause of
the famine. For current examples, consider North Korea, Zimbabwe, and Sudan.


The cures for famine come from modern industry and peace.
Democracies may lead to more peace but I think that's unproven.
We can certainly see counter examples in modern times.

North Korea and Zimbabwe are both at peace. Don't know about Zim, but North
Korea certainly has the capacity for modern industry - witness their nuclear
program.