Enough to Eat ?
Sir John Russell's presidential address to the British Association ought to be studied in detail by all those citizens of the world who have developed an uneasy fear that this earth is growing too poor for its population. The twentieth century Malthusians have overstated their case, for much of man's improvident behaviour to which they point warning fingers has already been put right. " It is now recog- nised," said Sir John, " that soil erosion comes about through wrong use of land, and the remedy is correct utilisation." Just as simple as that. But since almost every country in the world has its scientists who, like Sir John, are engaged in trying to discover what the best way to make use of the land is, and since moreover most govern- ments are prepared to legislate where prejudice or privilege interferes with putting the land to its best use, there should be hope for the human race yet. The broad figures are reassuring: today only about a quarter of the t t,000 million acres of the earth's surface considered " climatically suited " to crop growth are being cultivated. Those actually under cultivation should allow about I acres per head of the world's population, which is enough to provide a diet on the pre-war British scale. If the remaining three-quarters of the poten- tially productive lands can be tapped, we ought to be able not only to raise the all-round standard of living but allow for a world popu- lation which is supposed to be expanding at the rate of 20 millions a year. As we have taken a considerable battering from the Malthu- sians with mammoth figures of this sort, it is right that their converse, hopeful side should be expounded from time to time, particularly when, as in the case of Sir John Russell's address, it is backed up by a review of what research has achieved in the last few years.
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