Zimbabwe: structural adjustment, destitution & food insecurity

This article examines the persistence of hunger in food surplus Zimbabwe during the 1990s. It combines a discussion of the literature on hunger with an analysis of the Zimbabwean structural adjustment programme using the ‘entitlements’ theory of famine as the point of departure to examine ‘persistent starvation’. The article questions the extent to which the structural adjustment programme and increased food production have contributed to food security and welfare. It notes that destitution resulting from structural adjustment polices have increased food insecurity by eroding the purchasing power of large sections of the population. The article further argues that in addition to economic causes, destitution is exacerbated by the effective lack of accountability on the part of the key decision‐makers.