Fertility, declining rates

Fertility declines in East Asia since 1950 have been dramatic, dropping to about replacement levels or below in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and China 93 In Thailand, fertility dropped from 6 children per woman in the 1960s, to 3.7 in 1980, and to the replacement level of 2.1 in 1991.94 Adult women in Thailand have a literacy rate of 90% compared with 96% for men. 

Rabbit Biodynamic versus conventionally grown feed Fertility rate of rabbits remained constant over three generations in rabbits fed biodynamic feed but declined in rabbits fed conventional feed (Staiger, 1986, cited by Vogtmann, 1988)... 

Fig. 15.2. If one is rather liberal in the assumptions as to the natural responses available, industry can grow 20 years longer. Population will increase to more than 9 billion in 2040. These increased levels will generate much more pollution, which will reduce land yield and force much greater investment in fertilizers. Eventually, declining food supplies will raise the population death rate. (Reprinted with permission from D. H. Meadows, D. L. Meadows, and J. Randers, Beyond the Limits, p. 135, Chelsea Green Publishing, 1992.)...

They projected life expectancy in the developed countries to reach 81 years by 2050. For less developed countries, this would still reach 76 years. However, this increase in the global elderly population would be proportionally offset by a decrease in fertility rate, now under way, from 1.7 births/woman down to 1.4 in the Western world. This is below the replacement rate. For Second World regions, the rate of about 3.3 births/woman would decline to 1.6. Even in the least developed (Third World) countries, 5 births/woman would fell to 2 by 2050. Thus, the whole world would actually start to depopulate in 40 years. 

The slow growth of the 1980s converted into a r2 >id decline in the early 1990s. Between 1988/89 and 1992/93, global fertifizer use decreased at an annual rate of 3.6%. This led to an increased surplus in the marlwt, depressed fertilizer prices, and forced closure of some fertilizer plants. 

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