Political and business leaders worldwide need a strong up-to-date understanding of critical factors in order to make informed policy choices. In this case, leaders need to understand (including background or history of) how economics, food sufficiency, etc. are impacted by global population and it's growth. Your subcommittee, comprised of several key experts and scientists, has been assembled to educate these leaders so that they can make the best choices for the world.

1. The history of thought about human overpopulation, including the writings of Thomas Malthus and Paul Ehrlich and ranging forward to the more recent thoughts of Hans Rosling and his colleagues.

2. What, approximately, is the carrying capacity of the Earth? 

   • Where is the current human population on the growth curve?  Cite specific evidence and sources of this data.

3. What is the environmental impact of an increasing human population? 

   • For example, how are carbon emissions, sustainable waste disposal, and pollution impacted?

4. What is the impact of population growth on limited resources, including water, arable land, fuel, ecosystem destruction, and other critical resources?

5. Provide insight into the relationship between famine and overpopulation. 

   • What factors other than population have significant impacts on famine and how does this occur? Give examples where possible.

6. What evidence is there to suggest that providing money, resources or education directly to women has an impact on hunger, poverty or education? 

   • What does this suggest about the role of women’s rights and women’s education in these issues?

7. What, if any, are the relationships between political ideology, religion, and culture on poverty and hunger? 

   • How important are these issues compared to economic development or other issues?

8. Is hunger really a threat in today’s world? 

   • To what degree and why or why not?

• An independent consultant who has been hired to provide an unbiased analysis of the history and current trends and projections related to human population growth.

• A World Health Organization expert in the impact of population and other non-population factors on hunger and poverty. 

• A researcher with expertise on the relationship between human population growth and environmental issues

• An investigator with knowledge of the relationship between gender issues, hunger and poverty, perhaps from one of the many organizations who have experimented with programs designed to address these issues through programs aimed at women.