THE GREEN REVOLUTION
Many revolutions have happened throughout history has changed the lives of human beings. They include the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution in the late 20th century. The Green Revolution at the time happened when there was increase productivity of agriculture worldwide because of new developments. Many synthetic herbicides, chemical fertilizers and pesticides were made. This was an advantage because there was an increase in the supply of crops with more nutrients.
Furthermore, the chemical developments used at the time helped in producing high yield crops. These are crops that are particularly designed to produce more crops. In addition, there was a technique known as multiple cropping was executed which led to high production of food ( Sloat et al., 2018). This method is explained as growing two or more crops throughout the year so that the field can have something growing on it constantly. Multiple cropping and other agricultural innovations were applied by the farmers globally which led to more results. In addition, it reduced hunger and poverty levels.
There was growth when it came to productivity and also enhanced national and regional economies. The improvements in the economy were emanated from the Green Revolution in Asia. For instance, in India, there was an additional growth rate of the national income ( D’Adamo et al., 2020). The capability of more food production on the same amount also benefited the farmers because that natural land required to be changed to farmland to create more food. India is one of the countries that hold the second-largest agricultural land globally hence agriculture plays an important role in households that are dependent on it although it is no longer an agrarian economy.
In addition, this revolution caused food reduction prices through improvisation of crop germplasm. There was also a rapid increase in productivity in yields per hectare. The innovations led to a shift in the supply of food. Many other enhanced inputs such as irrigation, fertilizer and to a certain degree were used to improve food production. There were also many crop improvements networks granted best breeding resources and knowledge to be greatly and freely available and usable globally (Conway, 2019). Additionally, caloric intake rose significantly while the whole biodiversity subsistence in Food production reduced as peasant subsistence led to export-based cereal production.
Although the Green Revolution had some advantages, there were problems related to this time that had an impact on both the environment and society. There is no other action that has had an immense effect than the Green Revolution on the socio-economic development of the individuals. The increase in agricultural activities over the years have led to the whole degradation of the frail agro-ecosystem (Rogers, 2019). The high production cost has led to adverse effects on economic developments from agricultural practices. Soil erosion, the salinity of water underground water, and soil fertility loss have negative effects of over the assumptions of agricultural innovations by the farmers to make the revolution flourishingly. The indiscriminate usage of chemicals leads to soil pollution, water and oxygen. Also, it has caused other problems like new crop infections and requires new pesticides such as cottonseeds that are imported Monsanto that is patented.
It has allowed people to make a consistent food supply globally and also cheaper food prices that everyone can comfortably afford. It preceded the animal power in the farms. It depended on technology, innovations and social transitions to make a new method of production of Agriculture (Singha, 2017). The Green Revolution also required expert knowledge regarding the issues facing the environment. It successfully moved many peasant farmers from rural areas into industrial areas by giving new economic incentives and replacing the traditional use of farm equipment to technological ones. It led to the rise of national gross domestic products and allowed governments to have an immediate impact on the lives of their citizens. The Green Revolution has taken over human’s conflict with nature at very high levels. It enhances a farming approach based on economic logic exclusively like profit maximization, yield increase and homogenizing. For instance, in Mexico, the difficulties in the economy for farmers and landless farmers that resulted in rural to urban migration with the potentiality of industrialization. Through the contamination of pesticides and poor farming behavior led to air pollution which is dangerous to one’s health. In Latin America, farmers have witnessed yields continue to come up but is associated with more costs particularly those of government involvement in Agriculture in which they presume to be waste of taxpayers’ money.
References
Conway, G. (2019). The doubly Green Revolution: food for all in the twenty-first century. Cornell University Press.
D’Adamo, I., Falcone, P. M., Gastaldi, M., & Morone, P. (2020). RES-T trajectories and an integrated SWOT-AHP analysis for biomethane. Policy implications to support a green revolution in European transport. Energy Policy, 111220.
Rogers, S. (Ed.). (2019). Green Revolution/h. Routledge.
Singha, S. (2017). THE GREEN REVOLUTION TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT IN THE SOCIO ECONOMIC LIFE OF INDIA. AU-eJournal of Interdisciplinary Research (ISSN: 2408-1906), 2(1).
Sloat, L., Gerber, J. S., West, P. C., Ray, D. K., Davis, S. J., & Mueller, N. (2018). Expansion of Crop Growing Niches During the Green Revolution. AGUFM, 2018, GC51G-0865.