History and Hunger in West Africa: Food Production and Entitlement in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde

This book analyses the contemporary food crisis in Africa from an historical perspective, using two West African case studies. From the perspective of food production and entitlement, the volume traces the economic history of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, beginning with the slave trade, through the colonial and post-colonial periods to democratisation and structural adjustment. Using the theory and methodology of political economy, the study argues that the way in which African societies have been integrated into the world market diverted resources from food production and exacerbated exploitation, thus affecting entitlement to the food produced. Conditions for national food dependency and the degradation of the environment ensued.