GLOBAL OVERPOPULATION AS A POTENTIAL FACTOR OF WORLD HUNGER: LINKS, CONSTRAINTS AND POLICIES

Faculty of Economics in Subotica, University of Novi Sad, Subotica, Serbia
Serbia


Abstract

The issue of world hunger remains a critical challenge within international development economics, with its structural causes generating significant academic debate. While classical paradigms often isolate agricultural supply failures as the primary driver, this paper analyzes the structural link between global overpopulation, ecological constraints, and food insecurity through a critical synthesis of macroeconomic theories and contemporary demographic data. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the relative impact of population growth against socio-economic and institutional factors in determining global hunger. The paper operationalizes the research hypothesis (H1) that global overpopulation acts as an exogenous catalyst that amplifies environmental constraints, but the actual manifestation of hunger is strictly mediated by regional institutional capabilities and economic entitlements. Potential policy interventions are systematically categorized into techno-agricultural innovations and institutional reforms differentiated by regional economic contexts.

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