Malthus or God?

Thomas Malthus wrote in his “Essay on the Principle of Population” in 1798: “The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man.” “…This implies a strong and constantly operating check on population from the difficulty of subsistence.” He observed we have two paths to check population growth; voluntary, we find ways to limit our growth, or involuntary, which are natural disasters.

I heard an interview with a woman that had just assumed a position on Sec of State Clinton’s staff, and she was a full blown Malthusian. She straight up said “there are too many people on the planet.” I would assume this is also Clinton’s view. Since Malthus wrote his piece, there are 6 billion more people. The Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute, Joachim von Braun: “Agricultural productivity growth is only one to two percent per year.” The population is growing faster than that. Malthus, von Braun, Clinton’s staffer, and I would think the Obama Administration, are all Malthusians. Remember Paul Erlich, “The Population Bomb”, how there would be massive world wide famines in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s? Didn’t happen. There’s a reason why Malthus and his proponents are wrong, and will always be wrong.

Governments are the reason why people don’t get enough food. In Africa, many dictators refuse to let genetically altered crops to be grown or used. Governments use food to control populations; starve people that oppose them, and to feed their armies. Millions of people around the world do in fact have an abundance of food. There have also been complaints of the price of food going up. When governments suppress the production of crops, prices will go up. The US is guilty of this too. Federal mandates for corn based ethanol consumed about thirty percent of 2008 production, causing corn prices to rise over eight dollars a bushel that year, triple what it was in 2005. All bio-fuels take land and water that could be used for crops for people. The corn used to make a twenty-five gallon tank of ethanol would feed a person for a year. The pollution generated to make ethanol is equal to or greater than the pollution generated by burning regular fuel. It’s a zero sum game.

The technology and resources are available to meet the needs of people. Governments have a vested interest in keeping people hungry, or threatening them with hunger. My view is that God has provided us with the resources, talent and ability, to feed everyone on the planet, no matter how many people. The Malthusians have been wrong since the 1700’s, are wrong now, and will be wrong in the future.

The following scriptures support my view; Scriptures 2-3 thousand years, Malthusians about three centuries (and haven’t been right yet). [emphasis mine]


Abundance, from Strong’s: perisseuo: To superabound, have in excess, greatly surpass, excel. The word shows the generosity of God’s grace, given assurance that faithful use of one’s talents and gifts set the stage for one’s own advancement.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever." Philippians 4:19-20

God has provided us with everything we need to live abundant lives. He has since the beginning of human existence. Also since the beginning of existence, rulers and governments have denied that abundance for their own ends. What works, one-hundred percent of the time, is what Joseph did. Follow that model, and the people won’t starve.