27th Ambassadorship, Month 2, Report 2

Free Report: October

Theme: Green Revolution in Agriculture

Green Revolution (GR) refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s.

➢ It increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late

1960s

.

➢ The initiatives, led by Dr. Norman E Borlaug, the "Father of the Green Revolution"

credited with saving over a billion people from starvation, involved the development of high yielding varieties of cereal grains, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of

management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides

to the farmers.

➢ The term "Green Revolution" was first used in 1968 by former United States Agency for

International Development (USAID) director William Gaud, who noted the spread of new

technologies.

➢ In the 20th century, hunger and malnutrition were widespread, especially in Asia, which

increasingly depended on food aid from rich countries.

➢ Development of modern plant breeding program, improved production technologies and

the development of inorganic fertilizers and modern pesticides industries fueled these

advances.

➢ Scientists were started to develop plants that were more responsive to plant nutrients and

that had shorter, stiffer straw to support the weight of heavier panicles to get higher yield.

➢ They were also started to develop short duration and photo period insensitive varieties that

can mature early and grow at any time of the year, thereby permitting to increase crop intensification.

POSITIVE IMPACTS OF GR ON FOOD GRAIN PRODUCTION AND FOOD SECURITY

❑The beginning of the Green Revolution, the world population has grown by about 4 billion

and many people believe that, without revolution, there would have been greater famine and

malnutrition.

❑The developing countries were started to adopt newly developed technologies. By 1970,

about 20% of the wheat area and 30% of the rice area were planted to HYVs, and by 1990, the

share had increased to about 70% for both crops.

❑Between 1950 and 1984, as the Green Revolution transformed agriculture around the globe,

world grain production increased by over 250%.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF GREEN REVOLUTION

➢ Green Revolution resulted in environmental degradation and increased income inequality,

inequitable asset distribution etc.

➢ Large farms were main adopters of new technologies because of their better access to

irrigation water, fertilizers, seeds, and credit.

➢ Small farmers were either unaffected or harmed because Green Revolution resulted in lower

product prices, higher input prices, and efforts by landlords to increase rents.

➢ Green Revolution was spread only in irrigated and high-potential rainfed areas, and

many villages or regions without access to sufficient water were leftout.