Robert Walker speaks on population control at Rotary meeting - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

Robert Walker speaks on population control at Rotary meeting

A former Rockford-area resident who worked on John B. Anderson's 1980 presidential campaign returned to town about the need to control the worldwide population.

Robert Walker is president of the Population Institute. He spoke to the Rockford Rotary Club, saying the world population reached seven billion in 2011 and will reach eight billion by 2024. He says much of the explosion is in developing countries, which puts a strain on food and water.

"So, to think that we can meet the contraceptive needs of women in the developing world, who want to avoid a pregnancy or delay a pregnancy we not only help support that woman and her family, but we're also helping those countries become more food secure and have a better chance of economic development," Walker said.

He added the Population Institute is not about forced contraception, but giving women a right to make a decision about how many children she wishes to have.