What arguments are established in the Brundtland Report

What arguments are established in the Brundtland Report (1987) about ‘needs’ and
‘limitations’ in relation to “development”?
Needs
For Brundtland the most basic of all needs is livelihood: that is, employment. On this case, Brundtland emphasizes on the point that in order for poor households should be presented with sustainable work opportunities that allow them to be productive to an extent where they are able to meet minimum consumption standards. Brundtland also points out that “more food is required not merely to feed more people but to attack undernourishment” (Brundtland, 1987: 50). On the point of food an emphasis is placed on staple foods. On this point it is noted that in African countries there is a high unavailability of proteins. Brundtland points out that there is a decline in per capita food production and constraints on growth. Increased food production is seen to be based on ecologically production policies which Brundtland finds unsound as those policies compromise long-term prospects for food security (Brundtland, 1987: 50).
Energy is another essential need. Poor Third World households are said to be mainly dependent on fuelwoods which is extremely scarce. Apart from that, people have to walk for long distances to acquire wood and also they may live in areas where wood is cut faster than it grows.
Furthermore, Brundtland mentions the linked basic needs of housing, water supply, sanitation and health care. These needs just like the ones above are seen to lack in Third World countries mostly. “These needs” he says, “cause deficiencies that are often visible manifestations of environmental stress. Lack of such leads to communicable diseases such as malaria, typhoid, cholera and gastro-intestinal infestations (Brundtland, 1987: 50)
Limitations
On the other hand, Brundtland provides limitations to the needs presented in relation to development. The first limitation he points out is that the sustainability of development is intimately linked to the dynamics of population growth.
In industrial countries, the overall rate of population growth is under 1 per cent and several countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth.
The third world does not have an option of migration to new lands
Developing-country cities are growing much faster than the capacity of authorities to cope.
Urbanization is itself part of the development process.
Pressure on resources increases when people lack resources.

What counter arguments are offered by Boserup (1976) with regard to the Brundtland perspective? Population densities would result in new technologies that would increase food production on lands currently in production. • Dense populations were also necessary if roads, schools, and health clinics were to be provided in remote rural areas.
• Population growth was therefore necessary for economic development.
• Law of diminishing returns where a growing population puts increasing demand on the availability of resources leading to the cultivation of marginal lands which produce low yielding results
• Incentives where an increasing population leads to technological innovation to increase food production in order to meet population demand
• poor generally do not have the resources or the means to cause environmental degradation • intensification of techniques which combine labour and natural resources lead to land improvements
• Ultimately the Boserupian perspective demonstrates that the intensification of techniques which combine labour and natural resources lead to land improvements