NARRATOR: Lisa, an Australian student, travelled in Asia during her long holidays and spoke with Asian people in country and city.
LISA: I've never seen so many people. I reckon that's Asia's biggest problem - just too many people. It's no wonder there are so many who are poor.
TAXI DRIVER, SINGAPORE: This is a busy city, but not all of Asia is so crowded. Anyway people coming to the city have helped to make it prosperous. The average income here is one of the highest in Asia. that's another place with high population. Or look at Japan density, but a high standard of living.
LISA: Maybe a place like Singapore can manage, but what about India, China or Bangladesh? How can they even hope to feed everyone?
AGRICULTURAL ADVISER, CHINA: Asia has the best record of any part of the developing world for increasing the food supply. Since the 1970s, rice and wheat production has increased enormously. Food production has kept ahead of the population increase.
LISA: Then why do we read about millions of people who don't get enough food to stay healthy?
LEADER OF VILLAGE WOMEN'S COMMITTEE, INDIA: It's not usually a question of how much food the farmers grow - though Asian countries sometimes have bad harvests just like other parts of the world. The problem is whether everyone can afford to buy food. People who don't have regular jobs, or have to give most of their crop to the landlord, might not be able to pay for necessities.
LISA: Then why do they keep on having children? If they had fewer children, wouldn't it be easier to feed the family?
STALL-HOLDER, PHILIPPINES: Not necessarily. Often the children can earn more than is needed to feed them, so they help the family's income. And they're the ones who'll look after the parents when they get old.
LISA: But wouldn't two children be enough?
SCHOOLTEACHER, PAKISTAN: YOU say this because most babies in Australia survive. It's not so long since families in Australia were much larger too. In those days, many children died of pneumonia and polio. In Asia, child deaths from diseases like this are still too common, especially in poor families.
LISA: Aren't there hospitals now to provide treatment?
HEALTH WORKER, BANGLADESH: Yes, but they're mostly in the cities. Not everyone can get to them, and the trip sometimes means giving up several days' pay. That's why village health workers are teaching parents how to deal with childhood illnesses and how to provide cheap nutritious food.
LISA: What effect does that have? Won't there just be more children, and the population will increase even faster?
FAMILY PLANNING ADVISER, SRI LANKA: It seems to work just the opposite way. Not only do the children survive, but their development is not harmed by malnutrition and infection. Once they see an improved future for their children, the parents are often happy to talk about family planning.
NARRATOR: When she returned to Australia, Lisa had a new understanding of people in Asia.
LISA: When you look at it like that, it's not fair for us to say that the problems of people in Asia could be solved if they just stopped having so many children. Perhaps we sometimes use that as an excuse to stop us from thinking that we might have a part to play in finding solutions.