Thematic Report: Myths of Green Revolutionby Sandhya Adhikari | 16-04-2020 01:17 |
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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. |
