The alarming and incessant growth of population is causing serious economic problems in almost all continents. Great pressure is being placed on arable land, water, energy, and biological resources. As the world population grows, the food problem will become increasingly severe.
The most vulnerable will be population in developing countries. The per capital availability of food grains has been declining for the past 25 years. Certainly with a quarter million people being added to the world population each day, the need for grains and all other food will reach unprecedented levels.
Below, world population and its growth trends are given.
- 10,000 years ago, 10 million people
- By 1850, population was 1 billion
- 80 more years to reach 2 billion in 1930
- 45 years, it doubled again (4 billion in 1975)
- 12 years to reach 5 billion (1987)
- 6 billion in 1999
- By the year 2020, there will be 8 billion
There are about quarter of a million people added to the planet per day. This exponential growth is mostly happening in the developing nations.
Question 1: What are some of the serious economic problems caused by the alarming growth of population?
Answer: The alarming growth of population is causing serious economic problems such as pressure on arable land, water, energy, and biological resources. Additionally, the availability of food grains per capita has been declining over the past 25 years.
Question 2: How has the per capita availability of food grains changed over the past 25 years?
Answer: The per capita availability of food grains has been declining over the past 25 years, indicating a decrease in the amount of food available per person.
Question 3: According to the passage, how long did it take for the world population to double from 4 billion to 8 billion?
Answer: The passage states that it took 12 years for the world population to double from 4 billion to 8 billion, reaching this milestone by the year 2020.
Question 4: Where is the majority of the exponential population growth occurring?
Answer: The majority of the exponential population growth is occurring in developing nations, as mentioned in the passage.
Question 5: What implications does the exponential growth of population have for the future in terms of food supply and demand?
Answer: The exponential growth of population implies that the need for grains and all other food will reach unprecedented levels, especially considering that about a quarter of a million people are added to the planet per day. This poses significant challenges for ensuring an adequate food supply to meet the growing demand.
