Question

The text defines the Malthusian trap as: “A point at which the world is no longer able to meet the food requirements of the population, and starvation becomes the primary check to population growth.” In other words, population will outpace food production.

Discuss whether you believe this trap has been avoided for the next 100 years. Consider government policies (like China’s one-child policy), the use of genetically engineered crops, social patterns of family size, and environmental factors.

Answer 1

Malthusian trap:

• Malthusian trap says that population increases in a geometric ratio while output or food rises in arithmetic ratio. Thus, growth of population tends to be larger than growth of food. It results into starvation which again pulls down population.
• But next 100 years experience did not corroborate authenticity of Malthusian trap. It was witnessed that production of food also increased in commensurate to rise in population thereby keeping people safe from famines and starvation.
• Malthusians believed that technology would not affect productivity in agriculture. But in next 100 years, productivity in agriculture experienced growth and major spurt in output of agro products was witnessed.
• Use of new technology, gene revolution and stable governments assisted in increasing productivities across the sectors.
• But use of gene technology has led to the disruption of traditional societies and causing irreparable damage to ecology of earth.
• New Malthusians believe that Malthusian trap is impending. But it would be caused by the political turmoil and non-democratic governments.