The Green Revolution Ms. Scribner Ecology

3 Agricultural Worlds—The Haves Europe, N. America, Australia, and New Zealand have sufficient cropland to meet their food needs Have efficient farm production systems enabling the production of more food from the same amount of land.

3 Agricultural Worlds—The Rich Have-Nots land-poor Japan and Singapore as well as rapidly developing countries such as Indonesia, China, Chile and Peru These countries are unable to grow enough food for their populations but can afford to purchase imports to make up for it

3 Agricultural Worlds—The Poor Have Nots The majority of the developing world (3 billion people total) These countries are unable to produce enough food for their populations and cannot afford the imports to make up for it.

The Context of the Green Revolution During the 1960s and early 70s, Malthus’ ideas came back into fashion (Club of Rome) as there were dire predictions of the world’s population outstripping resources—particularly in India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9-HTtgFOk

What is the Green Revolution? “The application of science and technology to creating High-Yielding Varieties of major food staples (mainly grains) In other words, to get more food out of the same area of land—increasing the productivity of land.

Where did all this come from? During the 1940s, pioneering work was done by Prof. Norman Borlaug in the hybridization of plants. Essentially, he produced dwarf varieties so that more of the energy went into food production, than into growing tall.

GREEN REVOLUTION Greatest effect felt in LEDCs--The LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country) sector includes countries with a lower GDP and a lower standard of living than MEDC (More Economically Developed Country) countries Adoption of new, improved varieties of grains Application of better agricultural techniques Irrigation Mechanization Use of fertilizer Use of pesticides 6

The Green Revolution in India 1966-67: India was one of the first countries to benefit from a high-yielding seed program Turning Point for Indian Agriculture 5 cereals: wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and millet Drought-resistant Shorter growing season Very responsive to fertilizer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq8b-iCgvLM

Advantages Yields are 2-4 times greater The shorter growing season Farming incomes have increased Diet of rural communities is now varied Local infrastructure has been upgraded Employment has been created for industries that supply farms with supplies and machinery

What did it do? It produced spectacular increases in yields and production, and we must not lose sight of that. There is no doubt that it made more food available than would have existed without it.

Principal Beneficiaries of the Green Revolution 7

Mythology of Green Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIdMMwTTklc

“Green Revolution”

Pesticides Disadvantages Overuse pollutes water systems Use decreases natural populations of insects that feed other organisms causing a trophic cascade

Criticisms of the Green Revolution 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

Criticisms of the Green Revolution 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

U.S. Farm Squeeze Since WWII number of farms decreased 2/3 average farm size up ½ rural communities gutted production costs up from 50% of gross to 80%

Increased Dependency Poor countries must import: Seeds Fertilizer Pesticides Herbicides Cost to India increased 600% 1960-1980 Biotechnology leads to more dependency

Disadvantages of the Green Revolution High amounts of fertilizers and pesticides are needed to optimize production. This is both economically and environmentally costly New varieties require more weed control and are more susceptible to pests and disease Middle and higher-income farmers have benefited more than low-income farmers- thus widening the income gap in rural communities and increasing rural to urban migration Mechanization of farming has increased rural unemployment Some new varieties have inferior taste

Unsustainable Agriculture Industrial agriculture = mining land to extract maximum output “War” between humans and weeds, insects and disease Market dictates weapons: pesticides and chemical fertilizers We are destroying our food- producing resources

Destruction of Ag Resources Desertification Soil erosion Pesticide contamination Groundwater depletion Salinization Urban sprawl Genetic resources shrinking Fossil fuels depleting

The Green Revolution: The Latest Concern A 1992 UN report found that even in countries where food intake had risen, diseases associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies had increased. These deficiencies were linked to consumption of Green Revolution crops, which are low in vitamins and minerals Because these crops have replaced common produce, many people in the developing world have extremely low levels of zinc, iron, and vitamin A

The Green Revolution: The Latest Concern In some countries, the majority of people suffer from this hidden starvation People who are starved, never fulfill their physical or intellectual potential The World Bank estimates that these vitamin deficiencies are responsible for reducing the GDP of the developing world by as much as 5%

Genetic Engineering: The Next Green Revolution ? http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_15/b3624011.htm

Next Green Revolution? Biotechnology will help developing countries accomplish things that they could never do with conventional plant breeding” “I believe genetically modified food crops will stop world hunger.” Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize

Biotechnology Critic Biotechnology development Same vision as chemical industry: Short term goals Enhanced yields, profit margins Nature should be dominated and exploited forced to yield more Prefer quick solutions to complex ecological problems Reductionist thinking about farming Instead of integrated systems Agricultural success means Short term profits Not long term sustainability -- Jane Rissler, Union of Concerned Scientists

“Golden Rice” THE GREAT YELLOW HOPE In 1982, the Rockefeller Foundation funded research into rice varieties to promote global health Nutritionally enhanced rice Used a daffodil gene Rice now produces beta-carotene The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A Blindness in LDCs is caused by vitamin A deficiencies Time Magazine declares: “This rice could save a million kids a year.” 9

“Golden Rice” THE GREAT YELLOW HYPE An 11 year-old child would need to eat 15 pounds of golden rice a day to satisfy the minimum daily requirement of vitamin A Conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A requires fat and protein in the diet (these are lacking in LEDCs) Asians may not want to eat golden rice – they prefer white rice over the more nutrient rich brown rice which has always existed 10

How to Feed 9 Billion People https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raSHAqV8K9c (12 min)

The Hidden Costs of Hamburgers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut3URdEzlKQ (7:51 min)

https://www. youtube. com/watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yocja_N5s1I Crash Course Agricultural Revolution