APES 5.3

The Green Revolution

WWI & WWII

• Famine

• Decrease in farm land

• Decrease in workers

• Increased immigration

  • More mouths to feed in the US than edible food

  • US began importing wheat → then became the largest exporter

    • Exported wheat was not excess food but instead was sold for money

1960-2000

• Yields of wheat, rice, and corn grew significantly

• Increased use of GMOs → high-yield variety crops (and hybrids)

Shift in agriculture from small, family farms to large, industrial-scale

• Increased use of mechanization, GMOs, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides

  • Greatly increases efficiency of lands, short-term profitability. and food supply

  • Decreases world hunger and increases earth’s carrying capacity for humans

  • Brings negative consequences

    • Soil erosion, biodiversity loss, water contamination