Population and Scarcity of Food

Abstract

The world's population is growing at a rate which cannot be sustained. Rapid growth, however, is seldom found outside developing countries, while developed coun tries are close to zero population growth. Since World War II there have been impressive gains in agricultural pro ductivity in developed countries, but in underdeveloped countries there has been little or no improvement in per capita production. Western methods of agriculture, though highly productive in yield per acre or yield per man-hour, are so extravagant in the use of energy that these methods are not transferable. Agricultural methods which are sparing in the use of energy must be developed for all countries, but particularly for underdeveloped countries. Still, no fore seeable improvements in agricultural production will permit long term growth of population in underdeveloped countries. The time remaining to make the necessary adjustments be tween population and natural resources is short, and there is no time for social and economic developments to bring down the birth rate in developing countries in the gradual fashion of developed countries.