Aside from technological improvement that helps us grow more food, what other factors have helped keep population growth checked in the modern world?
Improvement in technology, especially in the agricultural sector, has enhanced the quality of farming in various world regions. The increased quality of farm activities has led to increased production of farm produce, which, in return, helps maintain the rapidly growing population in the world. However, several other factors have constituted increased food production in the world.
For instance, development in the economy in many countries have aided in keeping the population in check. With economic development, nations in their early stages of economic development have increased population rates. Agricultural based communities have children seen as potential income earners in the families since they help with various chores at home, like collecting and harvesting farm produce. Moreover, the increased child population in most communities has helped curb infant mortality rates, thus transforming towards helping the parents when they become old. Another factor is an education in developed countries. Education is usually compulsory in most developed countries until they attain 16 years of age. In this regard, children are no longer considered economic assets; instead, they are taken as economic costs. In some developed countries like the United States, the child bearing costs up to college completion average to $230,000, which helps these families reduce the number of children in the families.
Family planning is another factor that helps to keep population growth in check. In this regard, there is the increased availability of contraception pills, which help most families to regulate their family sizes. Moreover, reduced local and international wars have increased population. The increased adherence to diplomacy has resulted in better understanding among local people and international, which transforms towards better living and an upsurge in the economy.
Do you think Malthus will be right in the end? Why or why not?
According to Malthus’s prediction, population growth is directly influenced or controlled by the food produced in any country. Thus, a change in the mode of food production in the country is likely going to alter the pattern of population growth depending on the nature of food production. In my view, I believe Malthus will be right in the end.
If at all food production in the country is going to be neglected, a significant change in the population curve is expected at the end. Food serves as a basic need for every family in the world. Failure for these countries to provide enough food for its growing population accounts for various conditions which later hinder the successive growth pattern. For instance, reduced food production against an increase in population leads to starvation. In turn, starvation accounts for increased malnutrition cases among families, which eventually results in increased mortality rates, thus reducing the population. According to Malthus, every country should be able to produce enough food to meet its growing demands and give surplus food to foreign nations. This will result in a global positive relationship among nations and thus transforms towards support in food shortage and crisis times.
Moreover, if leaders and other stakeholders in both health and agriculture will avoid setting measures to curb the increased mortality rates, the trend will continue to be a universal occurrence in the world. Therefore, Malthus is right according to his postulates of the universal occurrence shortly. Various organizations to merge efforts in addressing reducing food availability against an increasing population.
Quote of the Song “Malthusian Collapse”
“Engorged in a rift of self-indulgence,
While never accomplishing more,
Then the split of ourselves,
Expand or die. Expand and die,
We leave behind a myriad of blight,
Successfully breeding ourselves to un-creation.”
Relationship with Malthus’s assertions.
According to Malthus, we ought to do good things to sustain ourselves on earth. More so, it is not just doing things, but rather, we should be “self-indulgence,” that is, going what we like and while cooperating with others mostly to help save more lives. In this line, Malthus believes that we ought to be acting in good manners to save the world.
Also, it says, “Expand or die. Expand and die“. This implies that we should aim to increase the population or experience the generations’ distinction due to the country’s food shortage. In this case, expanding is linked to increasing the quality and quantity of food in various places in the world. Again, in the second portion, “expand and die” warns the communities of the dangers of multiplying in numbers more rapidly than the rate at which the food is being produced. In this regard, the community will face the consequence of the underproduction of food in the country, resulting in poor living standards and malnutrition, thus increasing mortality rates due to food insecurity.