There is a notable lack of agreement in the recent literature concerning the seriousness of food scarcity in the developing world, particularly Latin America.  While some writers warn that agricultural production is failing to keep up with growing populations, others argue that hunger has largely been eliminated by Green Revolution agricultural programs.  This paper reviews data on population growth trends, agricultural production and nutrition, focusing mainly on Venezuela, Mexico, and Peru.  It also draws a comparison between Green Revolution methods and traditional forms of agriculture, some of which have been recently reintroducted on an experimental basis into rural areas.  The paper concludes that: (1) there is considerable evidence that food scarcity is a serious and probably worsening problem in Latin America; (2) Green Revolution approaches have failed to reduce food scarcity and rural poverty; and (3) revitalized methods of traditional agriculture can potentially play a key role in rural development programs.

Keywords: food scarcity, agriculture, development, population, nutrition, Latin America