N/A - Food and population theorists - TM Flashcards
Thomas Malthus
1798
reverend
main focus - ‘principle of population growth’
pessimistic approach
theory on global food security
population size in relation to food supply will determine standard of living
once country’s carrying capacity met = highest standard of living
unbalanced equilibrium: population > food supply = low standard of living
uses potential growth > actual growth because lack of access to global data
two principles theory is based on
absence of checks = population increase at geometrical rate (every 25yrs pop x2)
food supply at best increases at an arithmetic rate
‘ceiling’
TM uses ‘ceiling’ to describe a countries population and food production threshold
‘checks’
means to ensure population doesn’t overtake food production capability
preventative and positive checks
preventative checks - examples
abstinence from sex in marriage
abstinence from marriage
delay in marriage due to situation - famine, financial deficit
positive checks - examples
lack of food
disease
war
preventative and positive checks
preventative checks - to curb population once thresholds met
positive checks - negative impacts from threshold being met
industrial revolution - example of food production increase since 1798
TM before industrial revolution = theory strong until now
growth in agricultural production = exceeding population growth
methods = food production increase since 1798
draining marshlands
reclaiming land from sea
cross-breeding cattle
development of higher yielding varieties of plants
terracing steep slopes
growing crips in greenhouses
21C support for TM theory
famine - Ethiopia / Afghanistan - population exceeds resources
climate change - increase population = increase emissions = increase CC = decrease resources
international aid decreased by UK - concept on giving isn’t enough so pointless
inequality increase = migration to source of resources via globalistation
Methods to increase food production since 1798
Using more sophisticated irrigation techniques
