770 



amounted to some $93 billion.^ Food represents a significant portion of 

 thattota].^^ fe r 



(ri'ou-fh of Population versus Balanced Developriient 



As long as hard-won expansions in food production are matched by 

 population increase in an LDC, the outlook for balanced development 

 and the future of development assistance will be dim. The fact is that 

 from a global standpoint, population has tended to increase faster than 

 food production in the years since World War 11. If population in- 

 creases too fast, it can halt economic development in the LDCs and even 

 worsen conditions in these countries. Recognition of this fact has led 

 in recent years to substantial funding of population-limiting programs 

 by U.S.A.I.D.^ If economic development becomes a kind of treadmill, 

 with gains in production nullified by gains in population, development 

 aid will have failed. The United States will then have spent many bil- 

 lions of dollars of foreign assistance to no lasting purpose. U.S. public 

 opinion would probably not long tolerate such an outcome. Should run- 

 away population growth lead to a termination of U.S. foreign as- 

 sistance, the task of U.S. diplomacy in the underdeveloped world could 

 become far more difficult than it already is. 



On the other hand, while a solution of the food/population issue will 

 not guarantee the success of U.S. and other development assistance pro- 

 grams, it would presumably enable the assignment of additional re- 

 sources to other phases of development now receiving less attention. 

 Today, a large investment of resources and technical skills is directed 

 to the improvement of food supplies in preference to other sectors. If it 

 proves possible to strike a balance between food resources and popula- 

 tion, the LDCs should then be able to proceed with a better overall 

 balance in their development programs. Such a result would be to their 

 interest, as well as to the interest of the more affluent countries provid- 

 ing the assistance. 



Whatever solution is found to the food/population problem, it is 

 evident that it cannot be separated from the total process of develop- 

 ment. An important conclusion of this study is that development is a 

 seamless web. One cannot think exclusively in terms of the food/ 

 population equation. Rather the problem must be seen in the whole 

 context of development as it relates to attracting investment, creating 

 new jobs, training manpower in new industrial skills, improving pub- 

 lic health, and all the other elements that go into the development 

 process. 



Scope and Limitations of the Study 



The dual subject of this study introduces a great range of highly 

 technical ramifications which cannot be fully explored. However the 

 study does attempt to identify and put in perspective the most salient 



' U.S. Agency for International Development. "U.S. Overseas Loans and Grants. Pre- 

 llmlnRry F.Y. 1970 and Trend Data." Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, 

 1970), page 2. (By comparison, the United States had spent some S120 billion on mili- 

 tary assistance and action In Vietnam in the six fiscal years 1966-1971. nlus an addi- 

 tional several hundred million dollars annually in economic assistance. The U.S. space 

 program, military and civilian, up to the end of the fiscal year 1971. ha"? cost an estl- 

 I'lated f62.2 billion. See: U.S. Congress. Senate. Commlttep on Foreign RplaMons. "Imnnct 

 of the Vietnam War." 92d Congress, 1st session. June 30, 1971. (Washington, U.S. Gov- 

 ernment Printing Office, 1971. 36 pages. Committee Print.) 



«The total of U.S. assistance in food throughout the program 1-= listed as ll.^,- 

 371.000,000. 



^Expenditure for population and famllv planning programs under Title 10 of the 

 f'oreign Aid Act of 1961 Is listed nt $165,172,000 since 1965. 



