Green Revolution
Food problems have been happening since time immemorial. There are many reasons for hunger to occur——because of unequal food distribution, food waste, and others. The Green Revolution was one of the agricultural revolutions to relieve many people who lived in underdeveloped and developing countries from hunger and the fear of famine. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in a web journal article entitled “Green Revolution Curse or Blessing?,” this term “Green Revolution” was coined by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator William S. Gaud in 1968.
In the 20th century, populations were increasing at historically high rates, and then hunger and malnutrition expanded, particularly in Asia. Some countries in Asia had to depend on food and financial aid from developed countries. Rich nations started a project to eliminate the threat of starvation. Huge public investments in research led to larger agricultural production in the industrial nations. The Rockefeller and Ford foundations took the lead in establishing global agricultural research systems to support, teach, and adapt modern scientific advances to developing countries. These foundations focused on breeding rice and wheat because these crops were the most important food for people (Green Revolution Curse or Blessing?). I’ve already mention that the Green Revolution applied the modern agricultural techniques, and one of the most defining features was high-yielding varieties (HYVs), which were better quality than original varieties. HYVs were introduced by American agronomist Norman Borlaug, the Father of the Green Revolution (Green Revolution and Food Distribution (LR)). The original seeds were replaced with HYV seeds. After that appeared the positive and negative effects, and these results have changed people’s lives.
HYVs showed results quickly. IFPRI reports approximately 20% of the wheat area and 30% of the rice area in developing countries were planted to HYVs, and the share had raised approximately 70% for both yields by 1970. The revolution was brought to India in hopes of accomplishing food self-sufficiency. India received some positive impacts such as increasing productions, earning income, and developing economic activities. Thence, the Green Revolution succeeded in adaptation and transfer of the modern scientific techniques to not only India but also other developing countries and seemed to raise a lot of poor people out of poverty.
In the 20th century, populations were increasing at historically high rates, and then hunger and malnutrition expanded, particularly in Asia. Some countries in Asia had to depend on food and financial aid from developed countries. Rich nations started a project to eliminate the threat of starvation. Huge public investments in research led to larger agricultural production in the industrial nations. The Rockefeller and Ford foundations took the lead in establishing global agricultural research systems to support, teach, and adapt modern scientific advances to developing countries. These foundations focused on breeding rice and wheat because these crops were the most important food for people (Green Revolution Curse or Blessing?). I’ve already mention that the Green Revolution applied the modern agricultural techniques, and one of the most defining features was high-yielding varieties (HYVs), which were better quality than original varieties. HYVs were introduced by American agronomist Norman Borlaug, the Father of the Green Revolution (Green Revolution and Food Distribution (LR)). The original seeds were replaced with HYV seeds. After that appeared the positive and negative effects, and these results have changed people’s lives.
HYVs showed results quickly. IFPRI reports approximately 20% of the wheat area and 30% of the rice area in developing countries were planted to HYVs, and the share had raised approximately 70% for both yields by 1970. The revolution was brought to India in hopes of accomplishing food self-sufficiency. India received some positive impacts such as increasing productions, earning income, and developing economic activities. Thence, the Green Revolution succeeded in adaptation and transfer of the modern scientific techniques to not only India but also other developing countries and seemed to raise a lot of poor people out of poverty.
On the other hand, the Green Revolution had also created negative impacts. After a while critics had started to pointed out the problems of environmental degradation, increased cost, inequality and unfair food distribution (Green Revolution Curse or Blessing?). By using HYVs, farmers had to expend a lot of biomass. Briefly, they needed huge nutrient and water for breeding the seeds, and to do that, they had to prepare irrigation, insecticides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers.
First, to get massive water, the farmers built the irrigation system; however, it led to salt build up, so it caused unequal irrigation. Although people who lived near the canal irrigation could use it well, others had a hard time receiving water or couldn’t use the irrigated land. Therefore, due to the water distribution the water right issue occurred, and the farmers fought each other in the same regions.
Second, to adopt HYVs, the farmers had to buy a ton of the chemical fertilizers, the insecticides and the pesticides so they paid high initial cost. Thus poor farmers who couldn’t make the initial investment and only rich farmers produced the crops and earned high profits. Consequently, it increased the gap between the rich and the poor.
First, to get massive water, the farmers built the irrigation system; however, it led to salt build up, so it caused unequal irrigation. Although people who lived near the canal irrigation could use it well, others had a hard time receiving water or couldn’t use the irrigated land. Therefore, due to the water distribution the water right issue occurred, and the farmers fought each other in the same regions.
Second, to adopt HYVs, the farmers had to buy a ton of the chemical fertilizers, the insecticides and the pesticides so they paid high initial cost. Thus poor farmers who couldn’t make the initial investment and only rich farmers produced the crops and earned high profits. Consequently, it increased the gap between the rich and the poor.
Third, due to change in land patterns and conditions, farm qualities had gone down by overusing heavy chemical fertilizers and insecticides. In a digital document, “Green Revolution,” Japanese Professor at Hitotsubashi University Hujio Mizuno states that the farmers had improved their seeds by relying on climate, soil, and water resources. When these seeds had been adapted to grow in their region, they trusted in natural resources. The farmers possessed livestock and enriched the soil with organic fertilizers. Moreover, they carried out pest measures that limited damage from pests by planting various seeds. Like these methods, the famers adopted cycling-oriented agriculture; nevertheless, they decided to accept using HYVs and needed to put down tons of the chemical fertilizer, these insecticides and pesticides were used to protect from the pests. These agricultural ways lead to the ecosystem’s destruction, soil-infertility, and water pollution.
Although productivity growth was temporarily increasing in many areas, it was steadily decreasing overall. The farmers have been faced with serious issues such as land degradation, unequal water rights, losing bio diversity, decreasing financial aid, and so on. Some farmers might barely be using subsistence agriculture before adopting the modern agricultural techniques. By bleeding of new varieties, overusing the fertilizers, the other chemical inputs, and the irrigation, the farmers couldn’t use their land well. The Green Revolution was a potential remedy to help the developing counties; however, today so many people can’t be agriculturally self-sufficient and have suffered from hunger and famine because of it. When we consider the environment and long-term harvesting, we should bring back the original seeds and think about the diversities of yields, soil, and climate. The farmers should cultivate depending on their regions again. Additionally, there is an issue of land ownership. Recently the developing nations have an overpopulation problem, so the government ought to undertake another agricultural reform. This issue is really tough; however, we will never solve anything unless all countries deal with it. The government should receive bottom-up opinions and suggestions and make plans by region. They must not discriminate against the poor people and the small farmers. They must make an extra effort to support the poor farmers who are in a crisis of hunger.
Although productivity growth was temporarily increasing in many areas, it was steadily decreasing overall. The farmers have been faced with serious issues such as land degradation, unequal water rights, losing bio diversity, decreasing financial aid, and so on. Some farmers might barely be using subsistence agriculture before adopting the modern agricultural techniques. By bleeding of new varieties, overusing the fertilizers, the other chemical inputs, and the irrigation, the farmers couldn’t use their land well. The Green Revolution was a potential remedy to help the developing counties; however, today so many people can’t be agriculturally self-sufficient and have suffered from hunger and famine because of it. When we consider the environment and long-term harvesting, we should bring back the original seeds and think about the diversities of yields, soil, and climate. The farmers should cultivate depending on their regions again. Additionally, there is an issue of land ownership. Recently the developing nations have an overpopulation problem, so the government ought to undertake another agricultural reform. This issue is really tough; however, we will never solve anything unless all countries deal with it. The government should receive bottom-up opinions and suggestions and make plans by region. They must not discriminate against the poor people and the small farmers. They must make an extra effort to support the poor farmers who are in a crisis of hunger.