Pessimism

vs.
Optimism

Different approaches to the

‘population-resources’ debate
 Malthus
Task: View figure 13.57 (page 378 of Waugh).
Draw the graph and discuss.
Malthus believed that there was a finite optimum
population in relation to food supply and that an
increase beyond that point would lead to a
decline in living standards and to war, famine
and disease.
 An increase in the population above the
optimum limit would therefore lead to war,
famine and disease.
 A PESSIMISTIC approach
 Thomas Malthus (1798) proposed his work
during the early stages of the industrial
revolution when inadequate food and
clothing were common features in England.
 His argument was that population increases
(geometrically) or at an exponential rate if
unchecked i.e. 1-2-4-8-16-32 etc
 Food supply at best increases at an
arithmetic rate i.e.1-2-3-4-5-6 etc
 A PESSIMISTIC approach
 Malthus suggested that a rise in population,
however small, would mean that eventually
population growth exceeded increases in
food supply and that yields from a given field
could not go on increasing forever and that
the land available is finite.
 He believed the population-resource balance
was maintained by various ‘checks’:
Negative (preventative) checks are methods of limiting population
growth:e.g. celibacy, delaying marriage which lower fertility rates

He noted that there was a correlation between wheat prices

and marriage rates i.e. wheat price increases marriage rates
decrease (C18th)

Positive checks (decrease in population size due to): famine, war,

diseases i.e. anything which increases mortality and decreases life
expectancy.

Carrying capacities can relate to ecosystems and humans.

Rapid economic growth can impede economic development by

exacerbating social and economic problems.

Study the graphs on page 379 and summarise the points made
relating to links between population growth and levels of economic
development.
Checks fall into three categories;
1. Misery-(Shorten LE)
2. Vice-Warned against the dangers of practicing family
planning which may lead to promiscuity
3. Moral restraint-Advised this e.g. delayed marriage and
limit sexual partners.
This viewpoint also states that available technology to
cultivate further would lead to soil erosion and a general
decline in food production and the law of diminishing
returns whereby with higher levels of technology only a
small increase in yields would occur.
 Criticisms to the theory
•Too simplistic
•Ignores the fact that only the poor go hungry (marxist
viewpoint) and that it purely results from the poor
distribution of resources.
•Malthus did not see the changes in farming technology.
e.g. 10,000 sq meters (one hectare) or the size of a
football pitch can feed 1000 people for a year (or enough
tom feed the world)
This is backed up by the fact that in 1992 EU surpluses
reached 26 million tonnes.
Task: Brainstorm the new technological innovations that
have helped to improve food supply.
 An OPTIMISTIC approach
(Alternative theory)
 Ester Boserup (1965) suggested that an
increase in population would stimulate
technologists to increase food production.
 It followed that a rise in population will
increase demand for food and therefore
act as an incentive to modify technology
to produce more food. In other words,
“Necessity is the mother of invention”.
 As population increases agriculture moves
into higher stages of intensity with new
methods.
 An OPTIMISTIC approach
 Followers of Boserup argue that food
production is much more optimistic than
that of a Malthusian, as she claims that
food supplies will stay ahead of population
growth.
 Innovations such as the ‘Green
Revolution’ introduced HYVs to LEDCs
who witnessed increased yields from these
processes allowing more people to be fed.
 Limitations of Boserups theory
 Based on closed communities, which apart from
the globe, is not the case as migration occurs.
 Therefore difficult to test these ideas as
migration occurs in areas of over-population to
relieve population pressure, which according to
Boserups’s theory leads to technological
innovation.
 Also Over-population can lead to unsustainable
farming practices which may degrade the land
e.g. desertification in the Sahel.
In addition-The Club of Rome (Scientists and
Administrators): Predicted in 1972 through the use of
computer models, that if the then present trends in
Population growth and resource utilization continued, then
a sudden decline in economic growth would occur within
the next century.

There is a need for a global equilibrium to include

stabilization of population growth, use of resources,
industrial growth and economic development with an
emphasis on food production and conservation.

Research more about the Club of Rome’s predictions and

environmental awareness campaign.
 Tasks
 Write a paragraph (82-83PRD) stating how
the Mauritius case study supports
Boserup’s theory
 Write a paragraph explaining why
Ethiopia supports the Neo-Malthusian
perspective
 Summarise the points made by Paul
Erhlick (Neo-Malthusian viewpoint) and
write a side regarding his views.