GOMEZ Oscar A.    Department   Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University  College of Asia Pacific Studies    Position   Associate Professor
Language	English
Publication Date	2013/09
Type	Research paper (Academic/Professional Journal)
Peer Review	Peer reviewed
Title	The Emergence of Food Panic: Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake
Contribution Type	Single Work
Journal	Journal of Disaster Research
Volume, Issue, Page	sp,pp.814-825
Details	This paper documents a food panic in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, following the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake. A food panic is defined as a situation in which the general population fears losing access to food supplies, including drinking water, for an unknown length of time and, as a consequence, exhibits at least one of the following abnormal behaviors: panic buying, hoarding, or panic flight, probably aggravated by indiscriminate price hikes. Primary and secondary data, including media reports, official documents, direct observation, semistructured interviews, and an original survey, describe the characteristics of the food panic and suggest the mechanisms behind its occurrence. The reactions of major actors are depicted, highlighting the importance of the private sector in dealing with food panics. Suggestions for preparedness against such panics and challenges in future studies are covered in the last section.
DOI	10.20965/jdr.2013.p0814
ISSN	1881-2473