ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the re-emergence of hunger in first world societies from the perspective of food security and welfare politics. It explores the meaning of hunger in the affluent 'North' or 'West' and examines its incidence, nature and causes. The chapter considers the role of the state and civil society in terms of establishing the right to food security through engaging a new politics of welfare. In fact welfare reform policies informed by Active Society principles, and adopted in each of the countries, have seen welfare benefits cut or eliminated for certain groups of claimants and low wage work required as a condition of benefit. The national case studies also reveal that the state has responded to the problem of hunger by denying its existence, by neglecting its legistlated and public responsibilities, by framing issue of welfare costs in terms of fraud and abuse and by blaming the victim.
