The Green Revolution (Lectures 7-8)

The Green Revolution

• The Green Revolution was a significant effort starting in the 1960s to increase food production in developing countries.
• It aimed to combat widespread famines.

Overview

• Famine was a big problem with many people lacking sufficient food
• The Green Revolution aimed to solve this by dramatically increasing food production.
• Norman Borlaug and other scientists developed new plant varieties, especially wheat and rice.
• These "super plants" could produce more food, with wheat varieties being shorter and faster-growing.
• India and Mexico increased wheat and rice production as a result.
• Issues include expensive farming techniques and environmental harm with it being expensive and harmful to nature.
• The focus on "super plants" led to decreased crop diversity, increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases.
• Unequal food distribution meant that some poor farmers still struggled despite increased production.
• The Green Revolution helped grow more food and stop some famines, but also created new problems.
• Current efforts focus on biodiversity and sustainable food production to take care of the Earth and ensure equitable access.

Famines: Backdrop of the Green Revolution

• The Green Revolution was a response to recurring and devastating famines, such as those in India, which were exacerbated by events like El Niño.
• Historically, some viewed these famines as "unavoidable."
• Malthusian theory suggested that population growth would eventually outstrip food supply, leading to famine and disease.
• This provided context for concerns about food security.
• A widespread concern existed regarding the inability to produce enough food for the growing global population.
• Famines and theories about population and food supply heightened the need for initiatives like the Green Revolution.

Green Revolution in a Nutshell: Increased Food Production

• Core involved the development of new, high-yield, and disease-resistant crop varieties, like wheat and rice.
• This was achieved through plant engineering and modern breeding techniques like mutation and backcross breeding.
• Norman Borlaug spearheaded research in Mexico and India to develop these new varieties.
• Wheat modifications included loss of day-length sensitivity, resistance genes, and dwarfing for stronger stalks.
• Rice modifications included dwarfing and a faster life cycle.
• Wheat yields in Mexico, India, and Pakistan increased 4-5 fold, with significant rice production increases in India.
• The Green Revolution spurred increased use of machinery, fertilisers, pesticides, and irrigation.

Distribution of Food

• A critical question was raised about whether food distribution, not just production, was the issue.
• According to Amartya Sen, famines like the Bengal Famine were caused by failures in public action and socioeconomic dynamics, like colonialism, rather than a lack of food.
• During the 19th century, India exported commodities even during times of potential food insecurity, due to the prioritization of colonial interests.
• Despite increased global food production that outpaced population growth between 1960 and 2000, undernourishment persisted in low-income countries.
• Surplus food can cause drops in local crop prices, reducing farmer revenue, or increase local prices if sold internationally, making food unaffordable for the poor.
• Surplus food may contribute to post-harvest loss, the obesity pandemic, and increased meat production (feeding animals).
• Simply increasing food production did not automatically solve hunger with issues in access, and economic inequality being prevalent.

Social Negative Effects of the GR

• Modern farming techniques (hybrid seeds, machinery, fertilisers, etc.) are expensive and may disadvantage small farmers.
• Debt led to poor farmers being forced off their land, increasing urbanisation and the growth of slums.
• The benefits of the Green Revolution were not evenly distributed.
• Social changes from the Green Revolution may have heightened tensions and conflicts.
• The industrialised agriculture drive had social consequences, exacerbating inequities and creating new challenges.

Ecological Negative Effects of the GR

• Focus on high-yield crops led to a decline in different crop varieties and a loss of genetic diversity, increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases.
• Examples include the Irish potato famine.
• Monoculture and pesticide use can lead to pesticide-resistant pests, requiring more chemicals.
• Unsustainable soil use can lead to soil erosion and reduced soil fertility.
• High-yield varieties' increased irrigation demands strain water resources.
• The focus on staple crops may have reduced other nutritious food crops, leading to micronutrient deficiencies.
• Agrochemicals (fertilisers and pesticides) can lead to soil contamination.
• Farmers became more reliant on expensive external inputs, often controlled by large industries.
• Modern agriculture is heavily reliant on fossil fuels for machinery, fertiliser production, and transportation.
• The success in increasing food production came at a significant environmental cost, raising concerns about sustainability.

Loss of Crop Diversity

• Crop diversity includes varieties within a species and genetic diversity within those varieties (allelic and functional diversity).
• Genetic erosion refers to the loss of alleles and locally adapted cultivars.
• There are now fewer varieties with high genetic uniformity; historically there were many different, locally adapted varieties.
• Significant diversity losses have been recorded with dramatic losses in varieties are given for crops like dry beans, wheat, and apples in the US and China.
• The rise of hybrid corn from agribusinesses contributes to genetic erosion.
• Genetic uniformity increases vulnerability to pests and diseases.
• Measures against genetic erosion include living collections, seed banks, and cryopreservation, such as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Pesticide Resistance

• Increased pesticide use in the Green Revolution led to resistance in pest populations.
• Pesticides become less effective, requiring stronger chemicals and creating dependence with potential environmental harm.

Unsustainable Soil Use

• Soil erosion and reduced soil fertility were ecological effects of the Green Revolution.
• More common use of soil on big farms highlights this issue.

Unsustainable Water Use

• Water shortages identified as another ecological negative effect.
• Some high-yield varieties need increase irrigation with the most impacted areas being not limited by water.

Unsustainable Fossil Fuel Use

• Increase use of machinery, fertilisers, and pesticides strongly suggests a greater reliance on fossil fuels.
• large farms had a more common overuse of fossil fuel.

Important Details: Famines

• Famines impacted India.
• Thomas Robert Malthus believed that famine and disease checked population growth.

Important Details: Increased Food Production

• High-yield/ resistant crops grew from the 1960s.
• Plant engineering programs assisted this.
• Mutation and backcross breeding was essential.
• Wheat and rice were changed
• Norman Borlaug greatly contributed to the Green Revolution.
• Key wheat updates were dwarfing and resistance gene updates.
• Rice changes included dwarfism and faster life cycles.
• Yields were multiplied in India, Pakistan and Mexico.
• Industrialisation of agriculture and machinery occurred.

Important Details: Distribution of Food

• Amartya Sen thought that famines aren't caused by food supply but by socioeconomic dynamics.
• Commodities were exported during times of potential food insecurity.
• Production increased by 2.5 but undernourishment persisted from 1960-2000.
• Surplus food lowers costs.
• Surplus promotes animal production, obesity and food loss.

Important Details: Social Negative Effects of the GR

• Expenses are high and require machinery.
• Debt caused forced farmers.
• Vandana Shiva mentions increased conflict and displacement.

Important Details: The Ecological Negative Effects of the GR

• Reduced genetic diversity occurred.
• Agrochemical industries benefited.
• "Economical paradigm to life" causes ecological damage.

Important Details: Loss of Crop Diversity

• Diversity varies by species.
• Allelic diversity related to genetic versions.
• Genetic erosion is loss of entire locally adapted cultivars.
• More loss occurred in the US and China.
• Hybrid corn caused damage.
• Monoculture creates susceptibility to diseases.
• Conservation happens insitu or in Norway, where it's stored.