Needless hunger

Why is a country with some of the world's most fertile land also the home of so many hungry people? Betsy Hartmann and James Boyce, both Bengali-speaking anthropologists, spent two years in Bangladesh investigating the paradox of hunger in a "basketcase" country that actually produces enough grain for its people. Needless Hunger follows the history and structure of Bangladesh society, and also draws us into the daily lives of the people of Katni, the village where the authors lived. "There is no natural barrier to filling the basic human needs of Bangladesh's people," they conclude. "But there is the man-made barrier of a social order benefiting the few at the expense of the many." They found that the foreign aid pouring into the country actually entrenches the very elite, who keep the majority powerless and hungry. Needless Hunger is also a book of hope, describing the strength and potential of the Bangladesh people, and their desire for a society where food-producing resources are controlled by the majority. Book jacket.