What is a famine defined as?

A famine is defined as a severe shortage of food that leads to significant malnutrition, starvation, and ultimately, death among a population. This definition encapsulates the critical impact of famine, which goes beyond mere food scarcity to include the devastating consequences it has on human life and health. It is characterized by an inability of individuals to access enough food to maintain a healthy life, resulting in extreme distress and loss of life.

In contrast, a surplus of food would indicate an abundance, not a shortage. Limited food options refer to a situation where available food is diverse yet not sufficient in quantity, which does not equate to the dire conditions of a famine. An excess of agricultural production suggests a healthy food supply rather than a scarcity. Therefore, understanding that a famine specifically involves widespread food deprivation that leads to starvation helps clarify why option B is the accurate definition.