Abstract: An analysis is made of the entitlement approach to starvation and famines. This concentrates on the ability of people to command food through the use of the legal means available in society, including the use of production possibilities, trade opportunities, entitlements vis à vis the state, and other methods of acquiring food. Aspects discussed are exchange entitlement mapping (or E-mapping), starvation and entitlement failures, the limitations of the entitlement approach, and direct and trade entitlement failures.

Keywords: entitlement failure, entitlements, exchange entitlement mapping, exchange entitlements, famine, starvation,