Food riots across the developing world in 2008 sent powerful messages about the limits to people's tolerance of acute economic insecurity. Yet political responses of this kind are mainly treated as the inevitable social convulsions after economic shocks – as natural, almost physiological responses to hunger.

This briefing proposes that these political responses to crises can provide insights into popular perspectives on the global political issues of the day: global economic uncertainty, the moral limits to market freedom, and responsibilities of governments to protect against risk. understanding such perspectives could inform emerging debates within development and help shape a new social justice agenda.