Case 1: The Poor in Brazil

The population of Brazil is growing rapidly. If its present rate of growth of 2.8 percent continues, it will soon become the most populous country in the Western Hemisphere. Although Brazil is rich in natural resources and has significant economic growth, most of the benefits have gone to the rich. Forty percent of the population is under fifteen years of age, and unemployment is high. Population growth in the cities has made it difficult for the government to provide education, health care, water, sanitation, food, and housing for the poor. What steps if any, should be taken to provide for the poor and needy people in this country?


Case 2: Periodic Famines and Somalia

The view of Malthus and his followers, like Hardin in the readings, is that famines are caused by food shortages which are in turn caused by drought or other natural disasters.

There is a long history of periodic famines which seems to bear this out: Potato famines in Ireland in 1846-1851, China's famine in 1928 after a drought, Ethiopia's famine in 1973 after a drought, Bangladesh's famine in 1974 after floods, and the ongoing problems in sub-Saharan Africa (including Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia) after a prolonged drought in the area.
The view that famines and food shortages are caused by natural disasters has been challenged by Amartya Sen and others. Sen argues that world food production has kept ahead of population growth, and that famines are not caused by drought, flood, or other natural disaster. Typically a country that has people dying of starvation has enough food to go around. The problem is that the starving people cannot get the food because of high prices, unemployment, distribution problems, civil war, or other human factors.

Consider the recent and continuing starvation of hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and Sudan. The United States and other countries have contributed a massive amount of aid, probably enough aid to prevent starvation, but the relief efforts have been frustrated by the continuing fighting between various rival political factions. Many foreign-aid workers have been killed in the fighting. The United States led a military intervention in Somalia in December, 1992, but the coalition force failed to ensure peace. Bandits continued to rob or extort money from relief groups, and rioting and clan fighting continued to interrupt food deliveries. The situation seems to be even worse in Sudan where there is enough food to feed the people, but difficulties in delivering it to remote villages.
The pessimistic view of Sen is that military intervention will not solve the problems of countries like Somalia and Sudan. The only lasting solution is a stable democratic government that protects the poor and lets farmers grow.

Do you agree with Sen or the Malthusians (or do you have a different position from either)?