Rhian and the rest of the Malthus-was-wrong crowd should take a look at Rwanda. The population tripled in the 1950-1990 period, giving it the densest population in Africa, with a 3% annual population growth rate. (Rural) population densities reached as high as 1000 people per km^2 in some parts of the country and 422 on average (not counting lakes, parks, and forest reserves) at the time of the genocide. About 50% of the land is arable, and land holdings per household averaged 0.6 hectares, when the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says 0.75 hectares is the minimum for essential nutritional needs and 0.9 hectares for economic sustainability. (See Pan African News report 4/11/00 (on Web) on 2000 Land Policy seminar in Kigali).

Michael Renner in a 2000 article for the Naval War College Review (53(4), but also on Web) claimed that the land scarcity was so bad that by the time of the genocide half of all farming was on hillsides with slopes greater than 10% and that erosion led to a steep decline in grain production from the 1980s. James Gasana, Rwanda's Minister for Agriculture (1990-1992), in an article in the Sept./Oct. 2000 World Watch magazine, presents a table showing the correlation between calories per person in the various districts of his country and people killed in massacres. While overpopulation was not the only factor involved, it is perverse to deny it was an important one.

When I was a little shaver and my peers tried to bully me we had a saying "Sticks and stones will break my bones, and names will never hurt me".

That still applies today and the calling of names does little to strengthen the arguments of those who would still try to bully me. Those who feel that technology is the solution to the world's food problem need to see how much of the US and EU grain production is being diverted from producing food to producing alcohol and biofuels. It is starting to happen here with the commissioning of the NFL biodiesel plant in Darwin and CSR is producing alcohol from sugar cane.

That is where technology is taking agricultural production as the world seeks to shrug off its dependence on Middle Eastern oil. As others have observed, the world has only limited resources, unfortunately, man seems to have a limitless urge to procreate and this will be his ultimate undoing.

Malthus was just a bit ahead of his time.

Because the Americans and Israelis, compared to the size of the Middle East, really now only hold bridge-heads, might it be better if as has already been suggested by some radical scientists:

The Americans should get out for their own good and take the Israelis with them - there still being plenty of room in the true Promised Land, America.

Horus, birth rates are higher in developing than developed countries, but are declining in both developed and developing countries.

Johncee1945 – you say “over a billion people starve to death every year.” Get real! The planet’s population is less than 6.5 billion. You’re right that “Every year the UN release no end of detailed analysis and figures about the worlds starving”. I suggest you read some of it.

Divergence – look at the earlier posts. Malthus didn’t say population growth causes poverty, he said agricultural productivity improvements promote population growth that absorb the extra output leaving per capita living standards unchanged. Show me evidence that Rwanda’s population growth was CAUSED by rising agricultural productivity and I might accept your argument that events there prove Malthus right (though I'd still need convincing it wasn't primarily a sectarian/ethnic dispute).

VK3AUU – I called you a neo-Malthusian and a misanthropist. Many modern-day anti-population advocates are happy to wear the label “neo-Malthusian” (similarly neo-conservatives don't mind being called neo-conservatives, although their opponents often use the term in a derogatory way). The label seems to fit you - you do say you believe “Malthus was just ahead of his time.” I’ll admit that calling you a misanthropist was not intended to be complimentary, but it doesn’t seem to me unreasonable given your argument that “medical researchers should stop finding all theses cures for diseases and get the mortallity rate back up."

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Agronomist,

I said,"a "usual" 2 crop growing season." Referencing the hardy winter wheat crop and the spring soft wheat crop.

Here is a link to the International wheat production statistics for the period 1996 tom 2002. One can see an obvious fluctuation in crop production year by year.
As example: China goes from 110.6 metric tons to 89
United States 62 to 44
Canada 29.8 to 15.7
Australia 23.7 to 18.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_wheat_production_statistics

For all my reasons from my earlier post and your contribution I believe it's safe to say that overall wheat will probably not get to be much greater in production to meet the demands of "world hunger". Countries that do grow wheat will grow enough to sustain local Boards/Commissions while exploiting the demands for oilseeds and bio-fuels. Maize being one such crop with diverse ends. Food, feed, and fuel.

Cheers