Many of these people have to struggle to fill the basic needs of food, clean water, and homes. As population grows, land is cleared for people. As land is cleared, wildlife and their habitats disappear, usually forever. Asia has the highest rate of deforestation . Rates in Latin America and Africa are almost as high.
Population growth is also responsible for the loss of farmland all over the world.
Reducing Population Growth Many experts believe population growth needs to be controlled. Some say the best way to do this is to make sure the world's poor people can feed and care for themselves. They say better family planning will help couples to have fewer children. To produce more food, they say these countries should replace cash crops with food crops. Cash crops, such as tobacco, tea, and coffee, do not feed the local people.