Malthus
- Stated a population could grow more quickly than its capacity to feed itself because: populations can grow exponentially more and more rapidly, and food supply can only increase arithmetically at a constant rate.
- Predicted when population exceeds carrying capacity, death rates will increase due to the inevitability of famine, war and disease.
- Limitation – Outdated based on idea that food production cannot increase rapidly, but this has been rejected by technological advances like the ‘green revolution’.
- Also based on a time when developed countries were experiencing rapid population growth and developing were not, which is reversed in the present day.
Neo-Malthusians
- Rapid growth in 20th century raised worries that resource production was insufficient. They argue rapid population growth is an obstacle to development.
- Club of Rome used computer models in 70s to predict that growth would lead to decline in economic growth by 2070.
- Believe humans can live indefinably on Earth only if they limit population growth and use resources more sustainably.
- Limitation – many believe there are enough resources to support growing population; the main problem is how it will be distributed.
Ester Boserup
- More optimistic view – ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. Believed we will always find a way to produce sufficient resources to meet the needs of a bigger population.
- Farming will become more intensive as population increases and a greater demand for food will encourage the invention of new methods and technology.
- Modern trends have supported the theory e.g. genetic modification of crops.
Julian Simon
- Argued population increase was a good thing. The more people that are being born, the more intelligent people there are to solve problems about resource availability.
- Supported Boserup’s view that human innovation will increase alongside population.