Which classic theory posits that poverty will persist because population growth outpaces food production?

• A. Malthus' Principles of Population
• B. Neo-Malthusians
• C. Boserup Hypothesis
• D. Epidemiologic Transition Model

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is Malthus's claim that population tends to grow faster than the food supply, creating persistent poverty. Thomas Malthus argued that population increases geometrically while bread-and-butter production grows only arithmetically, so the gap between people and resources widens unless checks occur. These checks—famine, disease, and conflict—limit population and keep poverty in place, which is why this classic theory emphasizes that poverty will persist due to resource constraints. Later ideas like the Boserup hypothesis suggest innovation can boost food production in response to pressure, the Epidemiologic Transition Model looks at shifts in disease patterns with development, and Neo-Malthusians modify the original view, but the classic formulation is Malthus’s.