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Thematic Report: Myths of Green Revolution

by Sandhya Adhikari | 16-04-2020 01:17 recommendations 0

The Green Revolution today is the buzzword of third world agriculture. It was started in the second half of the twentieth century by U.S agricultural guru Norman Borlaug who is also regarded as the father of Green Revolution and was awarded Nobel peace prize in 1970. In modern era, the countries like mexico, india, pakistan, china and other part of south America have abandoned indigenous agricultural method and have largely adopted new agronomic and management practices of Green Revolution which intend for increasing in agricultural yield by the application of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, insecticides, improved seeds and extensive irrigation.

It has been said that Green Revolution is based on the technological superiority and chemical superiority over nature which means that only technology can give limitless growth otherwise constrained by nature and decrease in the availability of food. Thus this reductionist approach regards nature for scarcity and technology for abundance. Some of the scholar reveals that the green revolution produces scarcity at ecological level with the loss of genetic diversity of crop and destruction of nature's gift, soil, biodiversity, water and the climate.

The harm caused by Green Revolution is literally so high that around 75% of the biodiversity has disappeared in agriculture since the advent of green revolution for instant Nepal is the home for 2000 variety of rice but hardly 500 varieties of them are cultivated nowadays. Previously in United State 106 varieties of apples were grown but now they know only about six. The so called high information society also didn't think of the destruction of Genetic Diversity. This is illiteracy of history if not absurdity. Various local indigenous varieties with hardy nature are in preserved form in the gene bank or seed bank. The seed from the Gene bank are sold to the various seed companies where they slightly modify genetically to earn patent and then later sell it to the farmer. See now farmer are the greatest loser, they have to buy their own seed in the high price and also lose their legitimate ownership over the seed.

Human being eat nearly eight thousand species of plant but if we have a glance to the recent diet then people nowadays eat less diversified diet due to which many of them are lefy malnourished lacking micronutrients. Farmer nowadays are encouraged to produce only one type of crop. For example: government of Nepal has recently introduced the program to enhance one agricultural product in one district, but what if due to some reason if farmers couldn't harvest good yield , then they are doomed to get into debts. But in traditional agriculture farmer used to grow varieties of crops and if one crop didnt yield properly others will.

One study in India has showed that area were genetically modified Bt cotton has been planted for about four year, 20% beneficial soil bacteria has been extinguished due to the toxins. Along with this another study from the Cornell University had showen that pollen of Bt kills monarch Butterfly. Indrustrial agriculture and related global trade contribute to 40% greenhouse emissions responsible for climate change. The excessive use of chemical fertilizer and synthetic agrochemicals have left the soil diseased as it disturb the life cycle of soil microbes, earthworm and due to the presence of soluble nitrate that comes from fertilizers polluts the land. The various persistent organic pollutants enter food chain via bioaccumulation and adversely affect plants, animals and other living creatures. Agrochemicals industries besides environmental menance are genocidial as we can have a glance to Bhopal Gas Tragedy in India. Lethal gas leaked from one of the pesticides plant owned by Union Carbide( now Dow Chemicals) during the mid night hours of December 2, 1984 nearly killed 3,000 people immediately, since then 30000 has been killed, for more than 10 years thousands of them are born being crippled.

The mania of major people towards mega agriculture in third world country is due to the hunger and scarcity. Majority of people died due to starvation and diseases previously. In my view claiming green revolution for hunger eradication is just an exaggerated fact. As suggested by the vast scholarships of Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen the major cause of famine and starvation before green revolution is not merely due to shortage of food but due to worst socio economic dynamics and failure of public action. Thus through this what we can conclude that green revolution hasn't assisted to eradicate hunger rather has eradicated alternative system of knowledge of agriculture. Hence in my perspective it is disguise in blessings.
 

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16 Comments

  • Asmita Gaire says :
    Greetings Sandhya
    I hope you are doing well
    Detailed report on green revolution
    Thank you so much for this report
    Keep writing
    Green cheers
    Regards
    Asmita Gaire
    Posted 22-05-2020 15:03

  • Susmita Adhikari says :
    Hello dee
    I hope you are doing well

    Thank you so much for this report
    Regards
    Susmita
    Posted 23-04-2020 00:38

Kushal Naharki

  • Kushal Naharki says :
    Hello Sandhya

    I do hope that you are fine and doing great with your works.
    Thank you for your report about Myths of Green Revolution

    Green Cheers from Nepal :)
    Keep writing great reports.
    We are eager to read more reports from you.

    Regards,
    Kushal Naharki

    Posted 21-04-2020 21:01

  • Bal krishna Pandey says :
    Hello Sandhya,
    I hope you are doing good.
    thanks for your detail deport about Green Revolution.
    this topic was new for me. thank you for this knowledge.
    cheers
    Posted 20-04-2020 17:32

  • Dibya Bhatta says :
    Hello sis
    Its me Dibya Bhatta from Nepal,Currently working as researcher here at GIST ,South Korea
    It was nice reading your report!
    hope you are safe from corona!
    keep sharing the report!
    cheers!
    Posted 18-04-2020 21:35

  • Sang Su Mentor says :
    Hi Sandhya Adhikari, this is a mentor Sang Su Lee.

    Thank you so much for your detailed article about green revolution. I guess everything in the world is not flowing as intended. Although it helped a lot of people to gain access to a plethora of food, it decreased biodiversity, which is quite detrimental to ecosystem. I believe that balance is always important between development and environment.

    Green Cheers!

    Posted 18-04-2020 00:08

  • Sandhya Adhikari says :
    Thank you @Sonika for your words
    Posted 17-04-2020 14:40

  • Sandhya Adhikari says :
    Thank you Taehyun Mentor for your words. Indeed not only banana there are many fruits and vegetables that has been genetically modifided and see now we can have only seedless varieties like Tetraploid watermelon and so on. Green revolution has brought a great impact on diversity!!!!! So now people are much focused to sustainable agriculture rather.
    Posted 17-04-2020 14:36

  • Taehyun Mentor says :
    Hello Sandhya Adhikari, this is mentor Taehyun!

    Thank you for a report about green evolution! I was impressed! Nowadays, the diversity of crops in our daily plate is getting lower and lower. Did you know that originally there was a banana with seeds, but because of the humans, now banana species only exists in a form of seedless. Is it good? As a perspective of a human, it is good to grow the crops that have good taste and strong immune to the viruses, but for the environment, decreasing diversity of species is not good. We have to think a lot about the green revolution!

    Thank you for the report!

    Green cheers!
    Posted 16-04-2020 23:40

Sonika Pariyar

  • Sonika Pariyar says :
    Hello Sandhya!

    I hope you are doing great!

    Green revolution was aimed to increase productivity but in later years its negative impact wa addressed .Nowadays, the concept of brown revolution has been originated.

    Keep on sharing!

    GREEN CHEERS!!

    Regards,

    Sonika!
    Posted 16-04-2020 18:45

  • Sandhya Adhikari says :
    Thank you @ Asmita for your words.
    Posted 16-04-2020 14:48

  • Meena Pandey says :
    Hello Sandhya!!

    I hope you are fine and doing great..
    Green revolution in fact was the revolution made for increasing production rather than productivity.In the temptation of being handfull of grains, the revolution was given a significant prominence.
    But it didnot last for longer as it doesnot ensure for sustainable agriculture.

    Keep writing and shining.

    Hope to know more from you.
    Hope to see yours such an insightful report in coming days too.

    Yours,
    Meena

    GREEN CHEERS
    Posted 16-04-2020 14:20

  • Asmita Bhusal says :
    Hello Sandhya
    Your report made me realize the bad impacts of green Revolution on environment. Thank you very much for your report.
    Yours
    Asmita
    Posted 16-04-2020 13:37

  • Sudha Bhandari says :
    Hello Sandhya,
    I hope you are doing well.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Posted 16-04-2020 02:49

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