While I know famines and pestilence are a just another part of human life on earth and cannot be avoided because of the vagaries of women and governments etc, I do believe that a thinking person should prepare themselves for the next famine as it could be the famine to end all famines. The simple fact is they only kill the unprepared. In the great German inflation last century many died of famine too but anyone who had money tucked away survived just fine. I'm not necessarily talking about local currency either, the Weimar Republic marks became worthless, but I read about an American who went there in 1923, rented an apartment and had an account at the deli next door. He gave the shop keeper a $20 US gold coin and that single coin fed him for a month and more. There are lots of ways to pay for food, but you have to plan ahead.

Another point to consider is that a famine always ends, usually when the warm weather and rains come, but also when the imbalance between food supplies and mouths is addressed. I believe many people starved to death in the US in the Great depression, they simply gave up and died. After a certain time on limited rations the body and mind get weak. People simply lose interest in life.