Famine often occurs in different countries and climates but there are several contributing factors that are common to nearly all famines. Countries or populations that heavily rely on agriculture are hardest hit when agriculture is disrupted (by pestilence, drought, floods, civil wars etc.). Another common factor are repressive or controlling governing bodies that sell food to foreign countries for profit instead of feeding their own people. Natural disasters such as those previously mentioned are common to many famines.

In order to reduce the impact or occurrence of famines local governments must examine the contributing factors and try to avoid them or compensate for them. Natural disasters cannot be prevented but diversification of agricultural strains and sources (for example switching from agriculture only food supply to one reliant on agriculture and fishing or hunting) can safe-guard against pestilence (such as that which occurred during the Irish potato famine) and food shortages. The impact of floods and droughts can be reduced by avoiding farming in flood or drought prone areas whenever possible or making attempts to safe-guard these areas with dykes and water reservoirs. Alternately reserves of food staples can help minimize the impact of a famine in the short term. Many of these strategies require a government that is concerned with the well-being of their populace. This is often not the case in most of the famine prone countries. International organizations can serve an important role in such countries to provide education of farming techniques that can increase crop production (such as how to prevent erosion, which can lead to desertification), food storage strategies to minimize losses due to pests, an infrastructure for food distribution and pressure local governments into more responsible governance. These organizations are a powerful tool for often under-educated and resource limited peoples.