Transcript Document

GREEN REVOLUTION
Introduction of new technology in agriculture sector,
in order to increase its production through different
measures
Increase in production was made by different
ways
1. Introduction of new high yield varieties of
wheat, rice, and maize.
2. Improvement in per acre yield through quality
fertilizers to compensate for land deficiencies in
many less developed countries
3. Pesticides and insecticides have expanded the
acreage a single farmer can tend by reducing the time
required to disinfect the crop.
4. Irrigation has made double cropping feasible in
many countries where formerly one harvest a year was
standard.
5. New methods of rotating crops were developed
which increased land productivity.
6. New shorter plants have
been discovered that are more
responsive to fertilizer.
Similarly, some sturdier types
are mo.re disease-resistant.
7. Botanists have been able to
breed the photosensitive genes
out of plants . Making planting
possible at any time of the year.
 Green
Revolution occured between the 1940s
and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture
production around the world, beginning most
markedly in the late 1960s.
 The
term "Green Revolution" was first used in
1968 by former United States Agency for
International Development (USAID)
director William Gaud.
Norman Borlaug
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Joined Rockefeller Foundation
team in Mexico 1944
Increased yield, rust resistance
in wheat
Biggest contributor to Green
Revolution
Won Nobel Peace Prize in
1970
The green revolution can be divided into four
different stages
 Scientific
Breakthrough
 Technological
 Production
 Agricultural
Breakthrough
Breakthrough
Breakthrough
 The
discovery of high yield varieties of seeds;
 Mexican
wheat varieties ( Mexi -Pak) developed in
the international corn and wheat improvement
center .
 high
yielding rice verities in the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) in Philippines.
 To
achieve optimal level of output from above
HYVs.
 Technological
developments were made in the field
of mechanization .
 water
resource utilization.
 Excess
supply of inputs such as fertilizers,
chemicals, machinery and HYVs of seeds
 The
government made facilitating policies
pertaining to easy and cheap availability of inputs
and prices stability of outputs etc
 The
efforts made in earlier phases helped a lot to
give enormous output
 It
covered all the main crops and also the various
enterprises of animal production
 This
agriculture produce directly and indirectly
benefited the small as well as large-scale farmers
 High
yield varieties were introduced which gave
more production.
 Progress in fertilizer manufacturing was
observed.
 Better quality pesticides and insecticides
increased acreage of land.
 Better management of human resources and
induction of newly trained laborers.
 Water
availability was ensured, keeping in view its
quantity required.
 Pakistan
Government policies to provide subsidies
and credit to the producers.
 Incentive
prices were offered to the farmers
through the price support program.
 Manufacturing
and installation of tube wells and
machinery and allied equipments.
 The
annual increase in 1963-64 and 1964-65 was
around 35 percent.
 Transmission
of the improved technology to the
farmers through Extension Service Programs.
Reasons for yield increase
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Increased inputs
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increased output
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Labor
Fertilizer
Machinery
Using technology
without increasing inputs
Increased efficiency
Inputs
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Fertilizer
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Can improve yields
dramatically: 20-1000%
Diminished response if keep
adding
Reduces growth at high
levels
Effectiveness depends on
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Water/Irrigation
Timing of application
Biggest increase will be in
Africa
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Dem. Rep. Congo uses 1%
fertilizer used in South
Africa
Tractors
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Poorest farmers will consider
moving from hand tools to
animals
Farmers using animals will
consider using machinery
May not be efficient choice:
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Credit limited
Gas expensive
Maintenance expensive
But labor cheap
Land Reforms
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World Bank: productivity
would be increased if land
distribution more equitable
Land reform (redistribution)
successful after WWII:
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South Korea,
Taiwan
China
Recent success
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Japan
Zimbabwe
Kerala, India
Criticisms of the Green Revolution
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Green Revolution hasn’t
alleviated hunger
Economic power, land
controlled by few
Technology benefits wealthy
Therefore Green Revolution
increases inequity
More hunger AND more food
at same time
Cont…..
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Food Insecurity of poor not
addressed
Cash Crops: food flows from
the poor and hungry nations
to the rich and well-fed
nations
Green Revolution not
sustainable
 destroys resource base on
which agriculture depends
Cont….
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Early, poor had little access
to credit
Could not buy seeds,
fertilizer, irrigation to make
Green Revolution work
Wealthy invested, got richer,
drove out poor
Now, more emphasis on
loans for poor
Example: India
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Self-sufficient in grain due
to Green Revolution
But 1/3 of people poor
5,000 children die each
day
Poor cannot afford to
BUY the food
There are still problems
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Need good land (wealthy own)
Agrochemicals bad for health,
environment
Expensive inputs: profits to global
chemical companies
Rural people displaced from land
Mechanization reduces agricultural
jobs
Not ecologically sustainable:
depletes soil, pesticide race
Soil Depletion Worldwide
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Dramatic increases in
yields during 1970s,
1980s
Soil now depleted,
resulting in leveling off
or dropping yields
6% of Ag land in India
now useless
Profits
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Profits from Green
Revolution go to
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Middlemen
Banks
Chemical companies
Biggest growers
Grain prices fall
Farms get bigger
Increased Dependency
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Poor countries must
import:
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Seeds
Fertilizer
Pesticides
Herbicides
Cost to India increased
600% 1960-1980
Biotechnology leads to
more dependency
Unsustainable Agriculture
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Industrial agriculture
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“War” between humans and
weeds, insects and disease
Market dictates weapons:
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mining land to extract maximum
output
pesticides and chemical
fertilizers
We are destroying our foodproducing resources
Destruction of Agricultural Resources
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Desertification
Soil erosion
Pesticide contamination
Groundwater depletion
Salinization
Urban sprawl
Genetic resources
shrinking
Fossil fuels depleting
Sustainable Agriculture Goals
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Environmental Health
Economic Profitability
Social and Economic
Equity
Questions and suggestions