Food Security as a Consequence of Overpopulation

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Over populated countries are not food secure. Whenever growth rate outruns food production, the pangs of hunger and malnutrition take over. Developing countries in Asia  such as Nepal and Bangladesh and a number of sub- Saharan countries of Africa are suffering from this consequence of overpopulation. Malnutrition and hunger are worsening in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and many other African countries. Overpopulation, again, is one of the major factors and the problem is intensified by political turmoil in these regions. Overpopulation is having its toll to children who are just hoping to foreign aids from developed countries, but the help are not sufficing them for long because because of their numbers. Many died at a very young age.

Agricultural researches in the Philippines to ensure food security was a failure if not in vain. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was institutionalized to ensure the security of rice production in rice consuming countries  especially in the Philippines. It’s been decades ago that IRRI was founded, yet, the host country at this very moment is not food-secure. Ironically, Philippines import rice from Vietnam and Thailand which are ones upon a time sending their citizens to study in IRRI. What had gone wrong?

Overpopulation means more mouth to feed. In the Philippines, rice is the staple food of the Filipino population. According to statistics, Filipinos consume about 22 million kilorgrams of milled rice in their life. Having a population growth of 2 percent annually, the Philippines need to increase its rice production. You don’t have to be an expert to figure out that rapid population growth will result to million starving Filipinos in the future.

Whenever the Philippine government imposes policy to curb overpopulation, some institutions, especially the Catholic Church wails against its (policy) abolition in the claims that attempts to alter the natural conception of a child is downright immoral and against the law of God. Although, the Church’s influence has waned through the years, it still has significant impact to Filipino Families. Unless compromises are made between the Church and the State regarding population control, the tug-of-war will continue to strain the fiber of Filipino nation.