Explain critiques of Malthus’ view on the relationship between population growth and resource production. (6 marks)

Explain the Malthusian view: Thomas Malthus’ (1798) essay titled ‘Principle of Population’ proposes that resource production is linear, whereas human population growth is exponential and will eventually outstrip resource production. Once resource limit is reached, either preventative (reduced birth rates) or positive (war and famine) checks will prevent further population growth.

Anti-Malthusian views & critiques:
- Ester Boserup: Malthus did not take into account the role of innovation. Boserup instead proposed her own theory of agricultural intensification, wherein population change and growth drive innovation out of necessity. Rather than linear, Boserup proposed that the resource production curve is stepped, with each step coinciding with major innovation out of necessity.

- Norman Borlaug & The Green Revolution: In the 1960-70s, due to the work and research of Norman Borlaug, there was a significant increase in crop yield of cereals in countries such as Mexico, India, and Pakistan, allowing these countries to continue to have population growth without reaching a crisis point as prescribed by Malthus. Instead, the resource production curve would also appear as an exponential curve that can match the population growth curve.

- Controls on population growth;
          - Family planning in Bangladesh: increasing use of contraceptives by married women as well education regarding family planning, leading to              a gradually decreasing birth rate of 2.14 in 2015.
          - China’s 1 child policy: up to 250 million births prevented since 1979.