What term describes an extreme lack of food that leads to widespread starvation?

The term that describes an extreme lack of food resulting in widespread starvation is "famine." Famine is typically characterized by a significant decrease in food availability coupled with a severe increase in food prices, which leads to extreme hunger and starvation across a large population. It often arises due to a combination of factors including natural disasters, war, economic instability, and poor agricultural practices that disrupt food production.

In contrast, while hunger refers to the individual sensation of needing food, it does not necessarily imply a large-scale crisis affecting a broader population. Food scarcity, on the other hand, points to the limited availability of food but doesn’t capture the severe consequences that come with it, such as mass starvation. Malnutrition relates to a lack of proper nutrients in the diet, which can occur even in situations where food is available, and is not synonymous with famine. Therefore, "famine" is the most precise term to describe the extreme lack of food leading to widespread starvation.