Green Revolution Notes

Causes of the Green Revolution (1945-Present)

• Worldwide introduction of new, scientifically bred crop varieties.
• Intensive use of new technologies in agriculture.

Positive Effects

• Increased agricultural output and wealth for some farmers (e.g., Punjab, Mexico).
• Pioneer farmers in the Punjab embraced new technologies, leading to success.
• Increased aspirations for better education, housing, and consumer goods.
• Decline of caste rigidities and rise of middle/rich peasants.

Negative Effects

• Reduced genetic diversity and increased vulnerability to pests.
• Soil erosion, water shortages, and reduced soil fertility.
• Micronutrient deficiencies and soil contamination.
• Reduced availability of nutritious food crops for local populations.
• Displacement of small farmers, rural impoverishment, and increased conflicts.
• Diseased soils, pest-infested crops, waterlogged deserts, and indebted farmers in some areas (e.g., Punjab).
• Conflicts over diminishing water resources due to intensive irrigation needs of new seeds.
• Sterilization and contamination of native seeds.

Effects on Rural People

• Varied impacts based on status (wage earners, cultivators, consumers; landed or landless; rich or poor; male or female).
• Increased need for cash incomes, forcing women to work as agricultural laborers.
• Increased unpaid female labor and limited wage-earning opportunities for women due to mechanization.

Impact on Social Structures

• Shift from extended to nuclear families.