This In Focus Policy Briefing was
written by Naomi Hossain of
the institute of development
Studies with inputs and advice
from Kate Bishop, Robert
Chambers, Kate Carroll,
Rosalind Eyben, Richard Jolly,
Claire Melamed and Rachel
Sabates-Wheeler. The series
editor is Carol Smithyes.Food riots across the developing world in 2008 sent powerful messages about the limits to people’s
tolerance of acute economic insecurity. Yet political responses of this kind are mainly treated as the
inevitable social convulsions after economic shocks – as natural, almost physiological responses to hunger.
This briefing proposes that these political responses to crises can provide insights into popular perspectives
on the global political issues of the day: global economic uncertainty, the moral limits to market
freedom, and responsibilities of governments to protect against risk. Understanding such perspectives
could inform emerging debates within development and help shape a new social justice agenda
