Carrying Capacity: Food Production

Abstract

This paper reviewed and analyzed the indicators of carrying capacity within the context of the globe, Asia, and the Philippines. It also extended the application of the methodology on subsistence level carrying capacity in the rice and corn producing sectors of the Philippines.

Given the dynamic and complex nature of the population-natural resource/environment-development interactions, the paper recommends six imperatives that can assist the Philippines and Asian countries in dealing with the carrying-capacity issue. These include among others:

1. Creation of a Futures Center to coordinate futures oriented studies;
2. Emphasis on the role of technology in alleviating poverty;
3. Incorporation of the carrying-capacity methodologies into the main stream of development/planning, policy analysis and formulation;
4. Setting up congruent policies related to carrying-capacity and the economy;
5. Development of an integrative development framework that can link the complex and dynamic interactions of carrying-capacity factors with the other determinants of sustainable human and national development; and
6. Special role of political governance to provide the political will in efficiently implementing administrative and legislative reforms.

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