Population will always outpace food, so some manual limitations must be set on population growth.

Observations

  1. Population grows geometrically, doubling every 25 years
  2. Food production grows arithmetically, increasing at a constant rate every 25 years
  3. Population increases at a faster rate than food production
  4. Thus, there must be checks to limit population growth

Population Checks

Preventative Checks

Decreasing birth rate.

  • Celibacy
  • Late marriage
  • Self control in married life
Positive Checks

Increasing death rate - mostly naturally caused

  • Famines
  • Epidemics
  • Wars