Cultivating Inferior Land as a Cause of Diminishing Average Product of Labor
Malthus contended that even if a growing population expands onto new farmland, the average product of labor would still decrease. He reasoned that the most fertile lands are always cultivated first by earlier generations. Therefore, any additional land brought into use would inherently be of lower quality and less productive, which in turn lowers the overall average output per farmer across the entire agricultural system.
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Introduction to Microeconomics Course
The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
Ch.1 Prosperity, inequality, and planetary limits - The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
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Generational Growth and Diminishing Labor Productivity
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A farming community's population grows over several decades. To feed the larger population, they not only add more farmers to their original, highly fertile fields but also begin cultivating new, rockier land on nearby hills. After these changes, the overall average food output per farmer for the entire community has decreased. Which of the following statements best analyzes the two distinct causes for this decline in average labor productivity?
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Evaluating Agricultural Expansion Strategies
Cultivating Inferior Land as a Cause of Diminishing Average Product of Labor
Learn After
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A farming society initially cultivates only its most fertile land (Type A). As the population grows, it begins to also cultivate a large area of less fertile land (Type B). Assume the number of farmers and farming techniques on the original Type A land remain unchanged. Which of the following statements accurately describes the most likely impact of this expansion on the society's agriculture?