explain the positive and negative impact of Green Revolution
Answers
As a result of the Green Revolution and the introduction of chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides and pesticides, high-yield crops, and the method of multiple cropping, the agricultural industry was able to produce much larger quantities of food. This increase in productivity made it possible to feed the growing human population. In the 1940s, Norman Borlaug developed a strain of wheat that could resist diseases, was short, which reduced damage by wind, and could produce large seed heads and high yields. He introduced this variety of wheat in Mexico and within twenty years the production of wheat had tripled. This allowed for the production of more food for people in Mexico and also made it possible for Mexico to export their wheat and sell it in other countries. Norman Borlaug helped introduce this high-yield variety of wheat to other countries in need of increased food production, and he eventually won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with developing high-yield crops and for helping prevent starvation in many developing countries.
In addition to producing larger quantities of food, the Green Revolution was also beneficial because it made it possible to grow more crops on roughly the same amount of land with a similar amount of effort. This reduced production costs and also resulted in cheaper prices for food in the market.
The ability to grow more food on the same amount of land was also beneficial to the environment because it meant that less forest or natural land needed to be converted to farmland to produce more food. This is demonstrated by the fact that from 1961 to 2008, as the human population increased by 100% and the production of food rose by 150%, the amount of forests and natural land converted to farm only increased by 10%. The natural land that is currently not needed for agricultural land is safe for the time being, and can be utilized by animals and plants for their natural habitat.
Issues with the Green Revolution
Although the Green Revolution had several benefits, there were also some issues associated with this period that affected both the environment and society. The use of chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and pesticides dramatically influenced the environment by increasing pollution and erosion. The new materials added to the soil and plants polluted the soil and water systems around the fields. The pollution of the water exposed people and the environment downstream to the chemicals being used in the farm fields. The pollution of the soil resulted in lower soil quality, which increased the risk of erosion of the topsoil.
Though the example given is that of wheat, green revolution was not only confined to wheat but to all crops - rice, vegetables, sugarcane,grapes,cotton, etc etc.
the basic idea was to grow more in limited land using high yield variety seeds .
though for a limited period of time, the active problem of hunger in drought affected areas of land and equally flood affected areas of india was mitigated by govt by balancing resources from high yield areas and distributing food free or concessional rates to hunger prone areas, it raised several issues in the long run.
one of the issues was indiscrimanate use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides and weedicides to maximise production by rotating crops round the year for irrigated lands.
natural cycle of fertilisation of soil by bio bacteria like nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria with use of compost, cowdung and other means of fertilisation was disrupted causing disconnection of nitrogen cycle.
this resulted in soil degradation, soil and water pollution with indiscriminate usage of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.
it has also caused other problems like the new crop diseases that destroy crops and need new variety of pesticides eg cotton seeds imported through monsanto that is patented.
it also caused socio economic problems in high yield states like haryana and punjab.
the farmers with high acrage of land became super-rich and were flush with money.
being illiterate, they did not know how to use this windfall.
lavish spendings, drug menace , khalistan agitation were the off shoots of overnight richness- because many of sikhs migrated to canada and settled there and seeded khalistani movement.