Info from Rwanda slides

The Belgians felt the Tutsi were natural rulers. The Belgians elevated Tutsis into positions of authority while subordinating Hutus and Twa.



Not even the most elementary practices were done to stop soil erosion.
Nothing was done to protect the soil as a result much of the soil started flowing down the river in mudslides
The average family had to small of a farm in many areas and in the area of Kanama, a family was usually only getting about 77% of its calorie needs. As a result people were desperate for jobs that could get them money for food.



As Rwanda's population density rose after independence, the country carried on with its traditional agricultural practices.
The growing population was supported by draining marshes to gain farmland shortening fallow periods and by trying to extract two to three consecutive crops from a field in one year.
By 1985, all arable land outside of national parks was being cultivated
This is the Malthusian dilemma.
Why did the collapse could come rapidly and harshly?




According to Malthus, population tended to increase at a geometric rate (1,2,4,8,16...) while food supply would only increase at a arithmetic rate (1,2,3,4,5...).
Checks would keep the population down. Positive checks like war, disease, poverty and lack of food would keep population down.

Malthus saw the tension between population and resources as a major source of misery in humanity
He also believed in preventative checks like educating the lower classes, higher pay for the lower classes and the postponement of marriage. He believed all people wanted to have many children but that these measures would delay the number of children.
He believed hunger and sex were major desires for people.
His views hold very well with stage 2 countries.


You can examine the population of Rwanda and see that before the crisis, high crime rates were associated with high population density and per-capita availability of calories

In Rwanda today, the population is increasing at 3% per year, the average woman has her first child at age 15 and one feels “a sense of being surrounded by a sea of children”