While population grew at rates beyond Malthus’ imagination (see Figure 1), food production expanded even faster, and the debate has shifted to concerns about the role of population growth in the depletion of other natural resources, such as fossil fuels and minerals; in the degradation of renewable resources, such as forests, fisheries and biodiversity; and in the despoliation of local environment and the global climate. The analysis and debate have been carried out on two distinct levels: the macro level, involving large units of analysis, such as the nation, the region or the globe; and the micro level, involving small units of analysis, such as the household,.
