How can a free press and democratic elections help prevent famine?

According to the work of economist Amartya Sen, democracy and a free press serve as a natural bulwark against famine.1

In a democratic system, the government is accountable to its citizens. The occurrence of a famine—or even the threat of one—inevitably reduces the popularity of the ruling party. Consequently, the fear of being voted out of power provides a strong incentive for democratic leaders to take proactive measures to prevent or mitigate food crises, such as delivering food from buffer stocks or initiating employment-relief programs.1

A free press plays a critical role by ensuring that information about food shortages and the suffering of the population is transparent and widely known. This visibility prevents governments from ignoring or hiding the scale of a crisis. In contrast, authoritarian regimes may use censorship to suppress information, preventing the public and the international community from understanding the severity of a situation until it is too late to prevent mass tragedy.1