Why Some Geographers Support Malthus

In 1798, Thomas Malthus published a book titled, “An Essay on the Principle of Population”, in which he argued that population growth will certainly exceed the production of food, resulting in widespread famine.There are two reasons why some geographers today believe and two reasons why they don’t believe Malthus’ theory can be used to predict future population issues. Some geographers support Malthus’ theory today, because the population has been growing rapidly as Malthus predicted. For example, the population of many countries in lower stages(2-3) of the demographic transition model are still rising exponentially because of the high birth rates. This is the result of the limited use of contraception. Contraception is a method used to prevent pregnancy;birth control. This can be seen in countries in low stages of the DTM where there is lack of access to contraceptives and low levels of education for women.As Malthus predicted, this can possibly lead to widespread famine. …show more content…
For example, less developed countries are unable to adopt the agricultural innovations that have led to increased food production. Also, desertification and overuse of land is limiting the amount of arable(fit for growing crops) land available.This is another way the world could face widespread