The Green Revolution refers to a series of research and development and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1960s (with prequels in the work of the agrarian genetist Nazareno Strampelli in the 1920s and 1930s), that increased agricultural production worldwide, particularly in the developing world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s.[1] The initiatives, led by Norman Borlaug, the "Father of the Green Revolution," who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, credited with saving over a billion people from starvation, involved the development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to farmers.
The term "Green Revolution" was first used in 1968 by former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) director William Gaud, who noted the spread of the new technologies: "These and other developments in the field of agriculture contain the makings of a new revolution. It is not a violent Red Revolution like that of the Soviets, nor is it a White Revolution like that of the Shah of Iran. I call it the Green Revolution.
Following are the achievements of Green Revolution:
(i) Increase in Per Hectare Productivity:
Per hectare productivity of all crops e.g. wheat, rice, cotton, gram, maize and bajra has increased. It is due to better seeds.
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Chemical fertilizers, irrigation and mechanization of agriculture.
(ii) Development of Industries:
Green Revolution has positive effect on development of Industries. Industries manufacturing agricultural tools like tractors, diesel engines, combines, threshers and pumping sets have been installed. International Tractors Ltd. ‘Sonalika’, Standard Tractors Ltd. are some example.
(iii) Prosperity to Farmers:
Green Revolution has brought prosperity to Farmers. Agriculture is regarded as a profitable occupation. Demand for consumer goods in Punjab has increased. Standard of living has gone up in Punjab.
(iv) Effect on Consumers:
Green revolution has brought prosperity to rural masses. Bumper crops have generated employment opportunities for rural masses. Their standard of living has developed.
(v) Increase in Production:
The main achievement of Green revolution is increase in production. In 1965-66 production of food grains was 33.89 lakh tonnes. In 1980-81 the output became 119 lakh tonnes.
(vi) Effect on Rural Employment:
Due to multiple cropping and excessive uses of chemical fertilizers, the demand for labour increased. At sowing and harvesting time, acute shortage of labour is experienced. So green revolution has generated employment.
(vii) Ploughing Back of Profits:
The another positive effect of Green Revolution is the ploughing back of increased profits in agriculture. A study conducted by PAU Ludhiana revealed that a farmer reinvests 55% of his family income in the development of his fields, 49% in short period investment and 6% in long term investment in land improvement and agriculture implements.
(viii) Changes in Thinking:
Green Revolution has changed the thinking of rural folk. The farmer has adopted new techniques of agriculture and they participate in Kisan melas organised by PAU Ludhiana and gather new knowledge and apply it in agriculture.
(ix) Capitalistic Farming:
Financial resources are needed for taking full advantage of green revolution. Financial resources are provided by Banks and co-operative societies. These provide loans to farmer on easy terms.
As ecologists we are called to look deeper than the obvious. The failure of the Green Revolution is that it attempted to control hunger without controlling population growth. As humans we are like any other species in that we will expand to the limits of environmental carrying capacity and then collapse when the limit is exceeded either by overuse of resources or by the environment changing to lower resource availability. Instead of focusing on the problem of our biology we are enabling our biology by using technology.
The second biggest problem with the Green Revolution was that it replaced sound ecological cultivation practices and diverse local crop genotypes that allowed local populations to live comfortably within their environmental carrying capacity with a few high yielding varieties dependent on chemicals and fossil fuels. The local populations expanded from the local environmental carrying capacities to the new environmental carrying capacities while using resources that were not sustainable. Now there is hunger again that we are trying to eliminate by developing new crops and new technologies that repeat the cycle.
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