Ester Boserup Population Theory

Name: Ester Boserup
Date: 1965

Main Arguments:

• Increases in population stimulates the development of technology for things like food production
• Incentive to modify technology to produce more food
• "Necessity is the mother of all invention"
• eg GM crops

Limitations/Criticisms:

• Things like GM crops are more susceptible to disease
• GM seeds are more susceptible to drought
• There was a 27% increase in cancer rates after they were introduced in the Phillipines

Real life examples:

1. The Phillipines 1966-1986, rice production increased from 3.7 million tonnes to 7.7 million tonnes
2. 'Green Revolution' the widespread introduction of high yielding seeds, water control and mechanisation, use of fertilizers and pesticides to allow more people to be fed