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Green Revolution Essay in 100, 200, and 500 Words

• Updated on  
• Feb 26, 2024

Norman Borlaug, an American Agronomist, is regarded as the father of the Green Revolution. His scientific methods of introducing modern agricultural techniques allowed the world to sustain agricultural production. In India, M.S. Swaminathan is known as the father of the green revolution. 

Green Revolution essay requires you to write compelling details about its history, early developments, modern techniques used, how it helped with production, etc. In this article, we will discuss some samples of Green Revolution essays. 

Table of Contents

• 1 Green Revolution Essay in 100 Words
• 2 Green Revolution Essay in 200 Words
• 3.1 Green Revolution in India
• 3.2 Challenges and Concerns

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English

Green Revolution Essay in 100 Words

‘Agriculture is one of the most popular essay topics in school and higher education. Several reasons make agriculture an important point of discussion, as it forms the basis of economic, social, and environmental aspects of countries. A country with a surplus amount of agricultural production not only sustains its population but also exports products to different countries.

Major developments in the agricultural sector started in the 1950s when modern technologies to increase production were introduced. However, an American agronomist, Norman Borlaug , changed the entire agricultural market, by introducing the Green Revolution. In India, it was Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, who is credited with the development of agricultural production and was given the title of the Father of Green Revolution in India.’

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Green Revolution Essay in 200 Words

‘Green revolution refers to the introduction of modern technologies to increase agricultural productivity. The credit for the Green Revolution is given to Norman Borlaug , who, in the 1960s, conducted multiple studies to increase farm productivity. Norman’s research focused on two aspects; to increase agricultural production and enhance the food quality.

Agricultural production is the primary source of food for humans and various other animals. It provides a diverse range of crops, livestock, and other food products necessary for sustaining human life. A reliable and sufficient agricultural sector is essential for ensuring food security and preventing hunger.

In India, M.S. Swaminathan is regarded as the Father of the Green Revolution. His scientific methods and studies allowed India to increase its agricultural production and become a sustainable country. Swaminathan’s efforts also contributed to India’s economic growth. In India, more than 50% of the population is employed in agriculture or related occupations. These people were able to extract natural resources to their full potential with the modern techniques introduced by MS Swaminathan.

Today, India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, and jute. Not only this, India is the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, fruit, and cotton. The Green Revolution was a transformative phase in the history of India and the world, where agricultural production was able to sustain the entire population.’

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Green Revolution Essay in 500 Words

‘The Green Revolution was the period of agricultural transformation where modern approaches were introduced for high-yielding crop varieties, advanced agricultural technologies, and improved management practices. The real game changer was Norman Borlaug, who developed high-yielding varieties of wheat that were resistant to diseases, adapted to different climates, and responsive to fertilizers. His efforts earned him the title of ‘Father of the Green Revolution.’

The high-yielding crop varieties, coupled with the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, revolutionized farming methods. Simultaneously, mechanization and irrigation practices were also developed, which played a crucial role in enhancing productivity. These developments transformed the farmers from traditional, subsistence-oriented practices to intensive, commercially driven agriculture.

Green Revolution in India

In India, the situation was quite different. India is naturally blessed with the most fertile land on the earth, which allows us to grow two types of crops on the same soil. The cropping pattern in India is different into different groups; Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid. An Indian Agroscientist, MS Swaminathan, took on the arduous task of introducing modern techniques and high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.

To support the high-yielding varieties, there was a simultaneous effort to expand irrigation facilities across the country. The construction of dams, canals, and tube wells helped ensure a more reliable water supply for crops, reducing dependence on monsoon rains.

The Green Revolution promoted the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enhance soil fertility and protect crops from pests and diseases. This approach aimed at maximizing yields through intensive agricultural practices. 

One of the primary achievements of the Green Revolution was a substantial increase in agricultural productivity. India transformed from a food-deficient nation to achieving self-sufficiency in food production, particularly in wheat and rice. 

The increased production of food grains contributed significantly to improving food security in the country. The availability of staple crops increased, leading to a more stable food supply and reduced dependence on imports.

The Green Revolution had positive economic implications. Increased agricultural productivity contributed to rural development, reduced poverty, and provided a foundation for overall economic growth.

Challenges and Concerns

The Green Revolution also had some negative effects. The intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides raised environmental concerns, leading to issues such as soil degradation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. 

Social and economic disparities emerged due to the uneven distribution of land and other resources. Large landowners and farmers with access to resources benefited more than small and marginal farmers, contributing to social and economic disparities.

The expansion of irrigation, particularly through groundwater extraction, led to concerns about the depletion of water resources in certain regions. 

The emphasis on high-yielding varieties of a limited number of crops, primarily wheat and rice, has led to concerns about the lack of crop diversity and its impact on long-term sustainability.

The Green Revolution was a game-changer in agriculture and its related activities. It generated employment, made countries self-sustained, introduced modern technologies, and several others. But there were certain challenges also which cannot be overlooked. Therefore, it is important to have a more realistic and environmentally sustainable approach for making agricultural production.

Also Read: Essay on Beat Plastic Pollution for School Students

Ans: The Green Revolution was the period of agricultural transformation where modern approaches were introduced for high-yielding crop varieties, advanced agricultural technologies, and improved management practices. The real game changer was Norman Borlaug, who developed high-yielding varieties of wheat that were resistant to diseases, adapted to different climates, and responsive to fertilizers. His efforts earned him the title of ‘Father of the Green Revolution.’

Ans: M.S. Swaminathan is the father of the Green Revolution in India.

Ans: The Green Revolution refers to agricultural transformation by the introduction of high-yielding crop varieties. M.S. Swaminathan introduced the Green Revolution in 1965. On the other hand, the White Revolution refers to the production of milk and other dairy products. Verghese Kurian is regarded as the father of the White Revolution in India.

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green revolution

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• Humanities LibreTexts - Green Revolution
• National Library of Medicine - Green Revolution: Impacts, limits, and the path ahead
• DigitalCommons at University of Nebraska - Lincoln - The Green Revolution of the 1960's and Its Impact on Small Farmers in IndiaFarmers in India
• Frontiers - Lessons From the Aftermaths of Green Revolution on Food System and Health
• Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project - Green Revolution
• Academia - Green Revolution
• UC Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources - Lessons from the Green Revolution
• PBS - American Experience - The Green Revolution: Norman Borlaug and the Race to Fight Global Hunger
• Green Revolution - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Green Revolution - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

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green revolution , great increase in production of food grains (especially wheat and rice ) that resulted in large part from the introduction into developing countries of new, high-yielding varieties, beginning in the mid-20th century. Its early dramatic successes were in Mexico and the Indian subcontinent . The new varieties require large amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce their high yields , raising concerns about cost and potentially harmful environmental effects. Poor farmers, unable to afford the fertilizers and pesticides, have often reaped even lower yields with these grains than with the older strains, which were better adapted to local conditions and had some resistance to pests and diseases. See also Norman Borlaug .

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• Green Revolution Essay

Essay on Green Revolution

The Green Revolution is the way toward expanding rural creation by utilizing current machines and strategies. It was a logical exploration-based innovation activity performed in 1950 and the last part of the 1960s, that expanded rural creation around the world, especially in the creating scene, starting most extraordinarily in the last part of the 1960s. It utilized HYV seeds, expanded utilization of compost, and more specialized strategies for the water systems to build the creation of food grains. This Green Revolution Essay will help us understand the benefits and impacts of the movement in different sectors.

The Green Revolution in India started somewhere around the mid-1960sand it prompted an expansion in the creation of food grain, particularly in the areas of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Significant achievements of this included the improvement of high-yielding assortments of wheat. The Green transformation is said to be progressive due to the presentation of innovations, new thoughts, new ideas and the new use of information sources like HYV seeds, composts, water system water, pesticides, etc.

In India, the results of the Green Revolution are significant as India has an agricultural-based economy. It is, therefore, easier to understand the effects of the movement better through the results that we interpret from the statistics in India. 

Economic Results

Harvest zones required more water, more manures, more pesticides, and certain different synthetics. And this expanded the development of the nearby assembling division. Modern development made new openings and this added to the nation's GDP. The put-away water was utilized and this made up to make hydro-electric force. This brought about mechanical development, made new positions. The Green Revolution has significantly contributed to every country's GDP where it has taken place.

The Green Revolution has helped a lot of the needy people out of destitution, and have also helped numerous other individuals dodge the neediness and yearning they would have encountered had it not happened.

Green Revolution in India

The Green Revolution started in the mid-1960s that prompted an expansion in food grain creation, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Significant achievements in this endeavour were the improvement of high-yielding assortments of wheat. The Green transformation is progressive because of the presentation of innovation, novel thoughts, the new use of information sources like HYV seeds, composts, water system water, pesticides, and so forth. As all these were brought out of nowhere and spread rapidly to accomplish sensational outcomes in this way, it is named as an upset in green agribusiness. The essay on Green Revolution provides details behind this movement and its significant outcomes along with the disadvantages faced by every country due to this movement. In India, these results are a bit more significant as India is an agricultural-based country by nature. Hence, we can understand the effects of the movement better through the results that we interpret from the statistics in India. 

Harvest zones under this task required more water, more manures, more pesticides, and certain different synthetics. This expanded the development of the nearby assembling division. Expanded modern development made new openings and added to the nation's GDP. The expansion in the water system made the requirement for new dams to bridle rainstorm water. The put-away water was utilized to make hydroelectric force. The entirety of this brought about mechanical development, made positions, and improved the personal satisfaction of the individuals in towns. The Green Revolution has significantly contributed to every country's GDP where it has taken place. 

Disadvantages

The negative social impact of the Revolution was likewise soon obvious. Variations in salary have been enlarged by these developments in agribusiness. Rich landowners have power over the agrarian info and improved compound composts. The most noticeably awful part is that the helpless ranchers ended up crippled by little homesteads of land and lacking water gracefully. With complete agrarian strategies and sources of info, the Green revolution would, in general, have its most focused application on huge ranches.

As a centralization of the innovation to enormous ranches, the Inequalities have additionally Increased. A developing inclination has antagonistically influenced the helpless ranchers among the rich ranchers to recover land recently rented out under-occupancy understanding, which has been made productive by more significant yields from an innovation.

Poor people and the lower class of farmers have been progressively driven into the position of the landless worker—an uncommon increment in a more elevated level of the lease with land esteem taking off. Additionally, because of extreme utilization of composts soil began to become soluble or acidic, relying on the idea of the manure utilized.

Short Paragraph on  Green Revolution

The essay of Green Revolution alludes to a critical increment in the volume of horticultural creation and efficiency through a selection of better quality seeds, substance manures, pesticides, and bug sprays, and guaranteed water system offices during a brief timeframe. During the mid-sixties, this HYV innovation was embraced in Indian farming to help with the creation of food grains.

This new agrarian improvement technique was first supported by the Ford Foundation, and it was specifically executed in 16 agronomically created regions. This program was first known as the Intensive Agricultural Development Program (IADP). The IADP was altered in the year 1964-65, and another plan Intensive Agricultural Area Program (IAAP) was actualized. The fundamental elements of the new methodology are: 

(I) High Yielding Variety seeds 

(ii) Chemical composts 

(iii) Pesticides 

(iv) Insecticides 

(v) Assured water system offices and 

(vi) Better social practices. 

The program has been impressively altered with the progression of time and now the dry territories and the bumpy zones have now been secured under the new farming technique. In this short paragraph on Green Revolution, we come to know about the principal methodologies used behind this movement.

The Green Revolution has pulled countless needy individuals out of destitution and helped numerous non-needy individuals dodge the neediness and yearning they would have encountered had it not occurred. This upset has spared over a billion people everywhere in the world from starvation.

FAQs on Green Revolution Essay

1. Define AGRA, with context to this essay?

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, which was set up in 2006, is an African based foundation that puts the smallholder ranchers at the centre point of the developing economy of the mainland by changing the agribusiness from a small single business to a business that will flourish. This change is only possible through reasonable efficiency increments and allowance of inventive accounts and markets to accomplish the potential of agribusiness dependably to make it an alternative to youth work creation.

2. What are the advantages of the Green Revolution, according to this essay?

The harvest index was one progress that was made in plant advances due to the Green Revolution, which indicates the over the ground weight of the harvest. During the Revolution, plants with the biggest seeds were utilized to make the most creation conceivable. Following this cycle of specific rearing, the bigger the seeds were, the more grain could be developed with each harvest. The over the ground crops at that point lead to an expansion in photosynthate assignment for the yield itself. The yields had the option to photosynthesize more effectively by boosting the seed of the plant.

3. What is IADP?

The intensive Agricultural Development Program (IADP) was altered in the year 1964-65, and a new plan, the Intensive Agricultural Area Program (IAAP) was actualized. The main elements of this new methodology are: 

The High Yielding Variety seeds; 

The Chemical composts; 

The use of Pesticides; 

Use of Insecticides; 

Assured water system offices and 

Better social practices.  

This program was altered with, and according to the progression of time.

4. Mention some negative effects of the Green Revolution.

Negative effects are as follows:

There have been variations in salary by these developments in the agribusiness. The helpless ranchers ended up crippled by little homesteads of land and lacking water. With complete agrarian strategies and sources of information, the Green revolution would have its most focused application on huge ranches where the Inequalities have additionally Increased. Poor people and the lower class of farmers have been progressively driven into the position of the landless worker, an uncommon increment in a more elevated level of the lease with land esteem taking off. Due to the extreme utilization of compost, the soil began to become soluble or acidic, relying on the idea of the manure utilized.

5. Where can I get study notes on the Green Revolution essay?

Essay writing is important and it is also necessary to be able to practice some of the important questions and sample essays. The online portal, Vedantu.com offers important questions along with answers and other very helpful study material on essays of  The Green Revolution, which have been formulated in a  well structured, well researched, and easy to understand manner. These study materials and solutions are all important and are very easily accessible from Vedantu.com and can be downloaded for free. 

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Green Revolution Essay | Essay on Green Revolution for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by sastry

Green Revolution Essay: The Green Revolution refers to the technological advances in agriculture that changed the way farmers managed their farms. These changes allowed farmers to grow and harvest more crops with less manpower.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Green Revolution for Kids and Students in English

Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of ‘Green Revolution’ in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on Green Revolution of 400-600 words. This long essay about Green Revolution is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Green Revolution of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.

Long Essay on Green Revolution 600 Words in English

Below we have given a long essay on Green Revolution of 600 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.

The Green Revolution, first coined by William Goud, demonstrated the power and influence that science and technology have over the economic, social and institutional environment within which they operate. Traditional agriculture practices involved few or little inputs, with Mother Nature taking care of the crop. However, at some point in history, an improved method of farming arose; the Green Revolution. This focussed on three interrelated actions.

Firstly, breeding programmes for staple cereals to produce early maturing, day-insensitive and high yielding varieties. Secondly, the organisation and distribution of fertilisers, pesticides and water regulators, and lastly the implementation of these technological innovations.

The Green Revolution describes a rapid increase in the production of crops ranging from wheat to rice. It led to a boom in the agriculture industry. It was the technological response to a worldwide food shortage which became threatening in the period after the World War II.

The beginnings of the Green Revolution are often attributed to Norman Borlaug, an American scientist interested in agriculture. He is known as the ‘Father of the Green Revolution’. He is credited with saving over a billion people from starvation. He developed new disease resistance high-yield varieties of wheat.

By combining his wheat varieties with new mechanised agricultural technologies, Mexico was able to produce more wheat than was needed by its own citizens, leading to its becoming an exporter of wheat by the 1960s. Prior to this, the country was importing almost half of its wheat supply.

In India, the seeds of green revolution were first tested during the drought of 1964-65. M. S. Swaminathan an Indian geneticist, is known as ‘Father of Indian Green Revolution’ for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India. These seeds were planted in different soils of Punjab, Delhi, Pusa and Kanpur.

The yield was over 4,000 kg per hectare which was approximately about four times the yield of local varieties. These varieties were then replicated for public cultivation. High yielding varieties programme was introduced in the kharif season of 1 966. States like Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh reaped the benefits of the green revolution in wheat, while production of rice increased in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

There are around twelve components of Green Revolution such as high yielding varieties of seeds (HYV), irrigation – surface and ground, use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides, Command Area Development (CAD), land reforms, consolidation of holdings, supply of agricultural credit, electrification of rural areas, construction of roads and markets, farm mechanism and development of agricultural universities.

These components do not work in isolation. Infact it is the consolidated development of all these components that result in the overall development. Green Revolution has influenced Indian Economy to a large extent. One major problem lies in the fact that the revolution did not spread evenly to all the parts of the country.

With the introduction of Green Revolution in 1967-68, there was a phenomenal increase in the production of food grains, especially the wheat. Thus, Green Revolution in India can be exclusively called wheat revolution. Green Revolution increased production thus bringing prosperity to the farmers. The increased production within the country made the country self-sufficient and self-reliant in food grains. This led to a considerable decrease in the quantity of import. In fact, now many a times we are in a position to export.

With the use of mechanised and scientific methods in farming, industries too sprang up. Tractors, harvesters, threshers, electrical motors, diesel engines, pumps etc began to be manufactured on a large scale. Besides demands for pesticides, fertilisers, insecticides increased the number of fertiliser plants in the country. Consequently, there were increased employment opportunities, especially in the rural areas.

Even though, Green Revolution turned out to be a unique event in the history of Independent India by resolving the problems of hunger, famine and starvation, yet it had certain demerits. Green Revolution has greatly profited the rich farmers but has failed to profit the smaller ones. Rather the income gap between the rich, marginal and small farmers has increased. Moreover, not all parts of the country were benefitted. All the crops could not reap the benefits of green revolution except rice and wjjeat. Moreover, the revolution took off with a great start but it could not sustain its growth rate and productivity rate over the subsequent years.

The green revolution had some disadvantages too. It led to a change in dietary habits, as fewer people were affected by hunger and died from starvation, many were affected by malnutrition such as iron or vitamin-A deficiencies. Nutritional content of the products thus yielded were questioned. Also the consumption of the pesticides used to kill pests by humans in some cases may have increased the likelihood of cancer. Poor farming practices including non-compliance to usage of masks and over-usage of the chemicals compounded this situation.

There are varying opinions about the effect of the green revolution on wild biodiversity. Land degradation and soil nutrients depletion have forced farmers to clear up formerly forested areas in order to keep up with production. Moreover, most high intensity agricultural production is highly reliant on non-renewable resources. Agricultural machinery and transport, as well as the production of pesticides and nitrates all depend on fossil fuels. The essential mineral nutrient phosphorus is often a limiting factor in crop cultivation, while the phosphorus mines are rapidly being depleted worldwide. The failure to depart from these non-sustainable agricultural production methods could potentially lead to a large scale collapse of the current system of intensive food production within this century.

Short Essay on Green Revolution 100 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay on Green Revolution is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.

“The green revolution has an entirely different meaning to most people in the affluent nations of the privileged world than to those in the developing nations of the forgotten world”, said Norman Borlaug. Although the green revolution has been able to improve agricultural output in many regions, there was and there is still room for improvement.

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Green Revolution

• 31 May 2021
• 14 min read
• GS Paper - 3
• Cropping Patterns
• Food Security
• Environmental Pollution & Degradation

Introduction

• It led to him winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in developing High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of wheat.
• In India, the Green Revolution was mainly led by M.S. Swaminathan.
• Its early dramatic successes were in Mexico and the Indian subcontinent.
• The Green Revolution, spreading over the period from 1967-68 to 1977-78, changed India’s status from a food-deficient country to one of the world's leading agricultural nations.

Objectives of Green Revolution

• Short Term: The revolution was launched to address India’s hunger crisis during the second Five Year Plan.
• Long Term: The long term objectives included overall agriculture modernization based on rural development, industrial development; infrastructure, raw material etc.
• Employment: To provide employment to both agricultural and industrial workers.
• Scientific Studies: Producing stronger plants which could withstand extreme climates and diseases.
• Globalization of the Agricultural World: By spreading technology to non-industrialized nations and setting up many corporations in major agricultural areas.

Basic Elements of the Green Revolution

• The Green Revolution provided assistance in this quantitative expansion of farmlands.
• The one-season-per-year practice was based on the fact that there is only one rainy season annually.
• Water for the second phase now came from huge irrigation projects. Dams were built and other simple irrigation techniques were also adopted.
• The Indian Council for Agricultural Research developed new strains of high yield variety seeds, mainly wheat and rice, millet and corn.
• Main crops were Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra and Maize.
• Non-food grains were excluded from the ambit of the new strategy.
• Wheat remained the mainstay of the Green Revolution for years.

Green Revolution in India

Background of Green Revolution in India

• In 1943, India suffered from the world’s worst recorded food crisis; the Bengal Famine, which led to the death of approximately 4 million people in eastern India due to hunger.
• But the population was growing at a much faster rate than food production.
• This called for an immediate and drastic action to increase yield. The action came in the form of the Green Revolution.
• The green revolution in India refers to a period when Indian Agriculture was converted into an industrial system due to the adoption of modern methods and technology such as the use of HYV seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilizers.
• It was funded by the US and the Indian Government and the Ford and Rockefeller Foundation.
• The Green Revolution in India is largely the Wheat Revolution as the wheat production increased by more than three times between 1967-68 and 2003-04, while the overall increase in the production of cereals was only two times

Positive Impacts of Green Revolution

• The crop area under high yielding varieties of wheat and rice grew considerably during the Green Revolution.
• The per capita net availability of food-grains has also increased.
• Farmers ploughed back their surplus income for improving agricultural productivity.
• The big farmers with more than 10 hectares of land were particularly benefited by this revolution by investing large amounts of money in various inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizers, machines, etc. It also promoted capitalist farming.
• Besides, demand for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, weedicides, etc. also increased considerably.
• Several agricultural products were also used as raw materials in various industries known as agro based industries.
• The Green Revolution created plenty of jobs not only for agricultural workers but also industrial workers by creating related facilities such as factories and hydroelectric power stations.

Negative Impacts of Green Revolution

• Major commercial crops like cotton, jute, tea and sugarcane were also left almost untouched by the Green Revolution.
• The HYV seeds in the non-food crops were either not developed so far or they were not good enough for farmers to risk their adoption.
• Green Revolution technology has given birth to growing disparities in economic development at interred and intra regional levels.
• It has so far affected only 40 percent of the total cropped area and 60 per cent is still untouched by it.
• The most affected areas are Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh in the north and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the south.
• It has hardly touched the Eastern region, including Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa and arid and semi-arid areas of Western and Southern India.
• The Green Revolution affected only those areas which were already better placed from an agricultural point of view.
• Thus the problem of regional disparities has further aggravated as a result of the Green Revolution.
• Pesticides were sprayed on crops usually by untrained farm labourers without following instructions or precautions.
• This causes more harm than good to crops and also becomes a cause for environment and soil pollution.
• Most of these crops being cereals, required almost 50% of dietary water footprint.
• Punjab is a major wheat- and rice-cultivating area, and hence it is one of the highest water depleted regions in India.
• The pH level of the soil increased due to the usage of these alkaline chemicals.
• Toxic chemicals in the soil destroyed beneficial pathogens, which further led to the decline in the yield.
• The worst affected were the poor and the landless labourers.
• Health Hazards: The large-scale use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as Phosphamidon, Methomyl, Phorate, Triazophos and Monocrotophos resulted in resulted in a number of critical health illnesses including cancer, renal failure, stillborn babies and birth defects.
• It represented the successful adaptation and transfer of the same scientific revolution in agriculture that the industrial countries had already appropriated for themselves.
• However, lesser heed was paid to factors other than ensuring food security such as environment, the poor farmers and their education about the know-how of such chemicals.
• Also, taking lessons from the past, it must be ensured that such initiatives include all of the beneficiaries covering all the regions rather than sticking to a limited field.

Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana

• Government through the scheme plans to develop the agriculture and allied sector in a holistic & scientific manner to increase the income of farmers.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
• National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
• Submission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
• Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP)
• Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
• Sub-Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine (SMPPQ)
• Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics (ISACES)
• Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC)
• Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM)
• National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)

The Evergreen Revolution

• However, where population pressure is high, there is no option except to produce more food.
• Hence, the need for the Evergreen Revolution was called out by Dr. M S Swaminathan, the Father of the Green Revolution in India.
• The evergreen revolution involves the integration of ecological principles in technology development and dissemination.

Essay on Green Revolution

Introduction to the Green Revolution

The Green Revolution, a transformative period in agricultural history, revolutionized traditional farming practices, introducing innovative technologies and methodologies to boost global food production. The mid-20th-century movement originated with the vision of scientists and policymakers aiming to address escalating food demands. One iconic example is the work of Dr. Norman Borlaug, whose research in developing high-yielding wheat varieties was pivotal in increasing crop productivity. The Green Revolution averted widespread famine and set the stage for a global agricultural transformation, reshaping the way societies produce and consume food.

Historical Context

• Post-World War II Challenges: The Green Revolution emerged after World War II when the global community faced heightened concerns about food security due to population growth and changing demographics.
• Population Explosion: During the mid-20th century, there was a significant increase in the world’s population , particularly in developing nations. This demographic shift placed immense pressure on existing agricultural practices to meet the escalating demand for food.
• Famine and Food Crises: Several nations experienced severe famines and food shortages during the 1950s and 1960s, prompting the need for a revolutionary approach to agriculture that could increase yields and alleviate hunger.
• Scientific and Technological Advancements: Concurrently, advancements in agricultural science, genetics, and technology created an opportune moment for a paradigm shift in farming practices. Scientists sought ways to develop crops with higher yields and resilience to pests and diseases.
• Cold War Dynamics: The geopolitical context of the Cold War played a role as well, with the United States and the Soviet Union vying for influence in the developing world. Agricultural development became a tool for gaining political leverage, leading to increased investments in research and development.
• International Collaboration: Organizations such as the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations played a crucial role in financing global agricultural research and distributing new technologies, fostering cooperation between scientists, governments, and NGOs.
• Policy Support: Governments in many developing countries adopted the Green Revolution to improve food security by implementing policies that encouraged modern farming techniques and the use of high-yielding crop varieties. This confluence of factors set the stage for the Green Revolution to unfold as a historic agricultural transformation.

Key Components of the Green Revolution

Several key components characterized the Green Revolution, transforming traditional agricultural practices and significantly increasing global food production. These components include:

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• High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs): Developing and widespread adoption of genetically improved crop varieties, particularly in staples like wheat and rice, boosted agricultural productivity. Breeders developed these HYVs to exhibit higher yields and resistance to pests and diseases.
• Technological Innovations: The Green Revolution introduced a range of modern farming technologies, including mechanized farm equipment, irrigation systems, and improved soil management methods. These technologies aimed to streamline and optimize the agricultural production process.
• Irrigation Infrastructure: To address water scarcity and enhance crop growth, the Green Revolution promoted the construction of extensive irrigation systems. Large-scale irrigation projects, such as dams and canals, were implemented to provide consistent water supply to farmlands.
• Chemical Inputs: The widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides became a hallmark of the Green Revolution. These inputs maximized crop yields by providing essential nutrients and protecting crops from pests and diseases.
• Modern Farming Practices: The Green Revolution encouraged the adoption of modern agricultural practices, including double-cropping (planting two or more crops in the same field in a single year) and mono-cropping (cultivating a single crop species over a large area).
• Research and Development: Researchers and developers undertook extensive efforts to improve agricultural practices and develop new crop varieties. International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are two examples of international agricultural research centers that were instrumental in these efforts.
• Government Support and Policies: Many governments, especially in developing countries, were pivotal in promoting the Green Revolution. They implemented policies that incentivized farmers to adopt new technologies, provided subsidies, and invested in agricultural infrastructure.
• Extension Services: Extension services facilitated the dissemination of knowledge and agricultural best practices. Established agricultural extension workers and programs aimed to educate farmers on adopting modern techniques and technologies.

Emergence of the Green Revolution

The emergence of the Green Revolution marked a pivotal moment in agricultural history, transforming traditional farming practices and significantly increasing global food production. Several factors contributed to the rise of this agricultural revolution:

• Population Pressure: In the mid-20th century, the world faced a demographic explosion, with rapidly growing populations in many developing countries. This demographic shift intensified the demand for food, necessitating a substantial increase in agricultural productivity.
• Post-World War II Context: The aftermath of World War II brought about a heightened awareness of the need for global food security. The devastation caused by the war and the resulting economic challenges underscored the urgency of finding sustainable solutions to feed growing populations.
• Scientific and Technological Advancements: Agricultural science, genetics, and technology advances created a fertile ground for innovation. Scientists sought ways to enhance crop yields by developing high-yielding varieties (HYVs) and applying modern farming techniques.
• Innovative Crop Breeding: The Green Revolution introduced a breakthrough in crop breeding with the development of high-yielding varieties of staple crops like wheat and rice. These new varieties exhibited traits such as disease resistance, shorter growth cycles, and increased responsiveness to fertilizers.
• Research Institutions and Foundations: Organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation played a pivotal role in providing funding for research and development initiatives in the field of international agriculture. These organizations supported scientists and agronomists in pursuing innovative solutions to agricultural challenges.
• Technology Transfer: The successful dissemination of new agricultural technologies and practices was a key aspect of the Green Revolution. Extension services and training programs educated farmers on adopting HYVs, modern irrigation techniques, and chemical inputs.
• Government Support: Many governments, particularly in Asia and Latin America, recognized the potential of the Green Revolution to address food security concerns. They actively supported adopting new agricultural practices through policies, subsidies, and infrastructure development.
• Pilot Programs: The Green Revolution began with pilot programs in specific regions, allowing scientists and policymakers to assess the feasibility and impact of the introduced technologies. These programs often served as successful models for broader implementation.

Social and Economic Results

The Green Revolution brought about significant social and economic changes, impacting communities across the globe. Here are key aspects highlighting its social and economic results:

• Rural Livelihood Improvement: Increased agricultural productivity led to higher incomes for farmers, improving the economic condition of rural communities. Adopting modern farming techniques created new job opportunities in agriculture-related industries, enhancing overall rural livelihoods.
• Population Shifts: The increased efficiency of farming reduced the need for manual labor, contributing to rural-to-urban migration as people sought non-agricultural employment opportunities in urban centers.
• Income Disparities: Although some farmers experienced success, the Green Revolution unevenly distributed its positive outcomes among all. Large landowners often gained more than small-scale farmers, exacerbating income inequalities within rural societies.
• Education and Awareness: The Green Revolution prompted a heightened focus on education and awareness in rural areas. Farmers needed to learn and adapt to new technologies, fostering a culture of learning and innovation.
• Social Transformation: The economic improvements resulting from increased agricultural productivity contributed to broader social changes, including improved healthcare, better living conditions, and an overall standard of living.
• Gender Dynamics: The Green Revolution had varying effects on gender roles. While it empowered some women by providing opportunities for employment and education, it also reinforced traditional gender norms in specific communities.
• Dependency on External Inputs: Adopting high-yielding varieties often required increased use of external inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, creating economic dependencies on these products and industries.

Environmental Implications

While a boon for agricultural productivity, the Green Revolution brought about profound environmental implications. Here are key points highlighting the environmental consequences of this transformative period:

• Intensive Farming Practices: Adopting high-yielding crop varieties led to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity due to monoculture and continuous cropping.
• Water Usage and Irrigation: High-yielding crops often require substantial water inputs. The increased reliance on irrigation, sometimes unsustainable, led to the depletion of water resources and the disruption of natural hydrological cycles.
• Pesticide and Fertilizer Usage: Intensive cultivation often involves the widespread application of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. While boosting yields, these inputs contributed to soil and water pollution , impacting ecosystems and posing risks to human health.
• Loss of Agro-Diversity: The focus on a few high-yielding crop varieties reduced agro-diversity, increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases. This monoculture practice raised concerns about long-term food security.
• Energy Consumption: The production and use of synthetic inputs and mechanized farming increased energy consumption in agriculture. This raised concerns about the environmental footprint and sustainability of such practices.
• Deforestation and Land Use Change: In some regions, the expansion of agricultural land for high-yielding crops resulted in deforestation and changes in land use patterns. This had adverse effects on natural habitats and biodiversity.
• Climate Change Impact: The environmental footprint of the Green Revolution extended to contributions to climate change . Intensive farming practices and associated land-use changes release greenhouse gases, contributing to global environmental challenges.
• Soil Erosion: Monoculture and continuous cultivation practices increased the risk of soil erosion, negatively impacting soil fertility and the long-term sustainability of agricultural lands.

Criticisms and Controversies

Despite its undeniable contributions to global food production, critics have raised concerns and controversies about the Green Revolution. Here are key points highlighting the various concerns surrounding this agricultural transformation:

• Environmental Degradation: Critics argue that the Green Revolution’s emphasis on intensive farming practices, including chemical inputs, has led to biodiversity loss, water pollution, and soil degradation, raising severe environmental concerns.
• Social Inequities: The uneven distribution of the benefits of the Green Revolution resulted in increased social inequalities. Large landowners and wealthier farmers often reaped more benefits than small-scale and marginalized farmers, exacerbating rural disparities.
• Dependency on External Inputs: The reliance on high-yielding varieties, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides has created a dependency on external inputs. This practice can financially burden farmers and raise concerns about its long-term sustainability.
• Genetic Uniformity and Vulnerability: Focusing on a limited number of high-yielding crop varieties results in genetic uniformity, increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases. This risks global food security by relying on a limited genetic pool.
• Water Scarcity Concerns: The increased demand for water-intensive crops and irrigation has raised concerns about water scarcity. The Green Revolution’s impact on water resources is controversial in regions facing water stress.
• Cultural Disruption: The shift towards modern farming practices has sometimes disrupted traditional agricultural systems and cultural practices. This has led to the loss of indigenous knowledge and practices, causing cultural tensions in some communities.
• High Input Costs: Critics argue that the costs associated with adopting Green Revolution technologies, including purchasing high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, and machinery, can be prohibitive for small-scale farmers, perpetuating economic disparities.
• Impact on Rural Employment: The mechanization and modernization of agriculture have reduced the demand for manual labor. While increasing efficiency, this trend has contributed to unemployment or underemployment in rural areas.

Green Revolution 2.0

A new wave of agricultural transformation, often called Green Revolution 2.0, is emerging in response to the challenges and criticisms of the original Green Revolution. This modern approach seeks to integrate innovative technologies and sustainable practices to address the shortcomings of past agricultural revolutions. Here are the key components of Green Revolution 2.0:

• Agroecology Integration: Emphasis on agroecology, which combines ecological principles with agricultural practices to enhance sustainability. This involves using natural processes for pest control, optimizing soil health, and promoting biodiversity.
• Precision Farming Techniques: Adoption of precision farming technologies, including satellite imagery, drones, and sensor-based equipment, to optimize resource use. This helps minimize environmental impact by targeting inputs such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Climate-Smart Agriculture: Utilizing climate-smart agricultural practices is crucial for adjusting to and lessening the effects of climate change. This involves resilient crop varieties, water conservation, and sustainable land management.
• Digital Agriculture and Big Data: Integration of digital agriculture, leveraging big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) for informed decision-making. This enables farmers to optimize yields, reduce waste, and improve overall efficiency.
• Vertical Farming and Urban Agriculture: Exploring alternative farming methods like vertical and urban agriculture can reduce ecological footprints and ensure food security in urban areas.
• Diversification of Crops: Encouragement of crop diversification to enhance resilience against pests, diseases, and changing environmental conditions. An agricultural ecology that is more sustainable and in harmony is encouraged by this strategy.
• Community Engagement and Empowerment: Focus on inclusive approaches that empower local communities, especially small-scale farmers, by integrating their traditional knowledge with modern agricultural technologies. This fosters a more equitable distribution of benefits.
• Circular Economy Principles: Adopting circular economy principles within the agricultural system, emphasizing recycling and reducing waste. This includes reusing organic matter, water conservation, and responsible management of agricultural by-products.
• Global Collaboration for Sustainable Agriculture: Recognition of the interconnectedness of global food systems, prompting increased collaboration between nations, organizations, and stakeholders to address challenges and share best practices in sustainable agriculture collectively.

Success Stories

The Green Revolution, marked by its transformative impact on global agriculture, has yielded numerous achievements and success stories. Here are key examples that highlight the positive outcomes of this agricultural revolution:

• Increased Crop Yields: One of the primary achievements of the Green Revolution is the substantial increase in crop yields. High-yielding varieties of staple crops, such as wheat and rice, have led to significant improvements in productivity, ensuring a more abundant food supply.
• Self-Sufficiency in Food Production – India: Once heavily reliant on food imports, India achieved remarkable self-sufficiency in food production through the Green Revolution. The introduction of high-yielding varieties in the 1960s, particularly in states like Punjab and Haryana, turned India into a food-surplus nation.
• Poverty Alleviation – Mexico: The Green Revolution profoundly impacted poverty reduction in Mexico. Adopting high-yielding varieties, improved farming practices, and increased agricultural productivity lifted many rural communities out of poverty.
• Economic Growth – Southeast Asia: Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, experienced significant economic growth due to the Green Revolution. Increased agricultural output ensured food security and became a driving force for overall economic development.
• Diversification of Crops – China: China successfully diversified its crop production during the Green Revolution, moving beyond traditional rice cultivation. The introduction of high-yielding varieties for wheat and other crops contributed to a more balanced and resilient agricultural system.
• Technology Transfer – Africa: In some African countries, the Green Revolution has facilitated technology transfer and knowledge exchange. Efforts to introduce improved crop varieties, irrigation techniques, and farming practices aim to enhance food security and livelihoods.
• Livestock Productivity – Brazil: The Green Revolution extended beyond traditional crops to improve livestock productivity in Brazil. Advances in animal husbandry and feed technologies contributed to a significant increase in meat and dairy production.
• Global Food Security Impact: The Green Revolution’s overall impact has substantially contributed to global food security. Before its inception, there was a fear of widespread famine, which the Green Revolution helped to prevent by increasing the availability of staple crops.

Future Prospects

The need for sustainable practices, population expansion, and climate change are some of the issues the globe is currently experiencing. The future of agriculture is promising, and with the help of technology, it holds exciting prospects. Several trends and developments are shaping the future of agriculture:

• Climate-Resilient Crops: Creating crops that can flourish under harsh climatic conditions, including drought-resistant, heat-tolerant, and extreme weather-resistant varieties, is the focus of research and development efforts.
• Precision Agriculture: The integration of technology, including drones, sensors, and data analytics, is leading to precision agriculture. This allows farmers to optimize resource use, enhance crop yields, and minimize environmental impact by precisely managing inputs like water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Vertical Farming and Controlled Environment Agriculture: Urbanization and land constraints drive the adoption of vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture. These methods use stacked layers or controlled environments to grow crops indoors, reducing the need for large expanses of arable land and minimizing environmental impact.
• Biotechnology and Genomic Advances: Experts anticipate that genomics and biotechnology advancements will lead to genetically modified crops that exhibit improved resistance to pests and diseases, higher total yields, and increased nutritional value.
• Regenerative Agriculture: Regenerative agriculture practices aim to restore and enhance soil health, promoting biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water conservation. This approach emphasizes sustainable farming methods that benefit the environment and agricultural productivity.
• Digital Agriculture and AI: Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies in agriculture are becoming more prevalent. Large-scale data analysis is possible with AI-driven systems, which can reveal information on crop health, insect control, and the best times to plant.
• Blockchain for Supply Chain Transparency: Researchers are studying the agricultural supply chain to enhance traceability and transparency through the use of blockchain technology . This can help ensure the authenticity of food products, improve food safety, and provide consumers with more information about the origin of their food.
• Focus on Sustainable Practices: The global emphasis on sustainability drives the adoption of agroecological practices, organic farming, and agroforestry. These approaches prioritize environmental conservation, biodiversity, and the reduction of chemical inputs.
• Aquaculture and Alternative Proteins: With the rising demand for protein, aquaculture (fish farming) and alternative protein sources, such as plant-based and lab-grown meats, are gaining prominence. These methods offer more sustainable alternatives to traditional livestock farming.
• Global Collaboration for Agricultural Research: International collaboration on agricultural research and knowledge-sharing is crucial for addressing global challenges. Initiatives that promote the exchange of best practices and technologies can help countries develop resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

The Green Revolution, with its innovative technologies and high-yielding crop varieties, has undeniably altered the landscape of global agriculture. While it significantly increased food production, alleviated hunger, and drove economic growth, it also sparked environmental and social concerns. The lessons learned from the Green Revolution are vital as we move forward. Embracing sustainable agricultural practices, prioritizing environmental conservation, and addressing socio-economic disparities are imperative. The future of agriculture lies in a balanced approach that ensures food security without compromising the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants. The Green Revolution’s legacy serves as a guiding beacon toward a more sustainable and inclusive agricultural future.

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Essays on Green Revolution

Essay on Green Revolution in English for Children and Students – 2023

Table of Contents

Essay on Green Revolution: The term Green Revolution is used to express the introduction of new farming techniques like high yielding seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, use of farm equipments like tractors, farm tools and other machineries. Green Revolution has increased the production of crops and has also improved its quality. Introduced to the world in 1950s by Norman Borlaug and the Ford Foundation, it has proved extremely helpful for developing nations like India, Africa and Brazil etc.

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Short and Long Essay on Green Revolution in English

We have provided below short and long essay on Green Revolution for your information and knowledge. The essays have been written in simple yet effective English language so that you can easily memorize all the vital information and also present the same when required. After going through these essays, you will know what green revolution means, who is the father of green revolution in world, who is considered the father of green revolution in India, effects of Green Revolution, and advantages and disadvantages of green revolution etc. The essays will be helpful in your school/college assignments and competitions like speech giving, essay writing or debate.

Green Revolution Essay 1 (200 Words)

Green Revolution began in the world sometime into 1950s and reached India in early 1960s; though, its prominent effects were only visible by the late 1960s.

The Government of India under the Prime Minister Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri invited a bunch of experts sponsored by the Ford foundation to study India’s agriculture scenario and suggest methods for its improvement. In 1959 the team submitted the report titled “India’s Food Crisis and the Steps to meet it”.

The report suggested modernization of agriculture sector with introduction of new farm techniques, farming equipments, fertilizers, credit system and pesticides etc.

Based on the suggestion provided in the report, the Government of India introduced Intensive Area Development Program (IADP) in 1960, only in seven selected districts of India. They were West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh; Raipur in Chhattisgarh; Shahabad in Bihar; Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; Pali in Rajasthan and Thanjavaur in Tamil Nadu.

In these places high yielding varieties of rice and wheat were introduced with fertilizers and pesticides. The results were extremely overwhelming causing an increase in not only the crop yield but also its quality as well.

This new strategy was put into widespread use in India during the Kharif season of 1966. It was named as the High Yielding Varieties Program (HYVP).

Green Revolution Essay 2 (300 Words)

Introduction

Green Revolution is a term used to express the transfer of technology, in the agriculture field that took place in late 1960s. It opened new horizons of scientific methods into agriculture, resulting in better and more reliable crop yield. Green Revolution mainly helped the developing nations meet their food requirements and strengthen the condition of farmers.

Green Revolution in India

Green Revolution in India refers to the adoption of new farm techniques such as the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, irrigation facilities, tractors, fertilizers, pesticides etc.

An Indian Geneticist and administrator M.S. Swaminathan a.k.a Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is considered as the father of Green Revolution in India.

It was under his guidance and supervision that High Yielding Varieties of rice and wheat started being cultivated in India. The vision of M.S. Swaminathan was to get the world rid of hunger and poverty.

Swaminathan actually termed it as “Evergreen Revolution” and advocated sustainable development, sustainable agriculture, food security and elimination of hunger and poverty.

The Green Revolution in India commenced sometime in 1958 and tremendously benefited the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, by introducing high yielding varieties of wheat and rice.

Other practices of Green Revolution in India includes infrastructure of irrigation, use of pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides etc. It also opened way for Indian land reforms and improvement of rural infrastructure.

Green Revolution in India was extremely helpful to the farming community apart from improving the condition of farmers and boosting the economy of the nation. Industrial development, better village infrastructure, employment generation, food security, improved financial condition of farmers, more and better crop yield are only few of the many advantages of Green Revolution.

Green Revolution Essay 3 (400 Words)

Green Revolution refers to a phenomenal change in the method of agriculture production that happened in the late 1960s. It was basically a technology sharing initiative which involved use of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of Cereals, chemical fertilizers, water supply methods and mechanical equipments. Green Revolution was highly beneficial for the developing countries and resulted in better yield, better quality of produces among other advantages.

Effects of Green Revolution

1) Increase in Production

The methods adopted in the Green Revolution resulted in extremely favorable conditions for the crop to grow. Use of chemic fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals ensure that the crop faces less threat from pests and grows continuously without any hindrance.

2) Food Security

More crop yield and more resilience of crops towards changes in climate, pests and other threats have resulted in food security in the countries where Green Revolution is being practiced. Greater crop yield means less people sleep hungry and the nutritional demand of everyone is met.

3) Scientific Practices

The most important effect of Green Revolution is the practice of scientific methods rather than traditional methods in agriculture. Farmers are now using High Yield Variety (HYV) of seeds instead of traditional farm seeds. Also, traditional fertilizers are replaced by chemical fertilizers, boosting the yield.

4) Industrial Development

Green Revolution has led to industrial development, generating more employment and boosting economy. Industries producing fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural machinery, insecticides are set up in the country where green revolution is being practiced.

5) Confident Farmers

Today the farmers have become more confident than before as their yield has become more and more independent of external factors; thanks to the Global Warming . Farmer of today knows that he will be able to produce good quality of crops by adopting new techniques and also that the produces are safe from pests and insects. This has caused a phenomenal change in the confidence of farmers and has also let them think out of the box.

Green Revolution is a big name in the agriculture industry and has helped the developing countries a lot to meet their food requirements and also boost their economical statistics. Apart from resulting in more and better crop yield, the green revolution has also resulted in improving the social and economical condition of the farmers. Farmer, who is a part of Green Revolution, is more confident of his yield and its quality as well as of his own financial condition.

Green Revolution Essay 4 (500 Words)

The term “Green Revolution” is used to describe a global technology transfer initiative also termed as Transfer of Technology (TOT) that took place in 1960s in the field of agriculture. It immensely benefitted the developing countries during that time like Mexico, Brazil, Africa and India. Green Revolution paved way for the adoption of new technology in agriculture, leading to its industrialization.

Advantages of Green Revolution

Sharing of technology in the field of agriculture had many advantages including high yield per area, better quality of crops, and controlled water supply for irrigation among others. Some of the advantages of Green Revolution are stated below.

1) More Crop Yield per Area

Adaptation of new farming technologies and chemical fertilizers, tractors, pesticides etc have resulted in more crop yield over a particular area. Today, the world over, 20% more crops are being produced than what is required by the world’s population. This has been made possible only due to the changes brought by the Green Revolution.

2) Consistent Yield

Green Revolution has caused the yield to be consistent making it more resilient towards seasonal changes. Before the green revolution crops would depend highly on seasonal conditions and even a minor shift in rain or other conditions would considerably reduce the yield. But, thanks to the green revolution, due to the adoption of new farming techniques and support system, yield today is less dependent on climatic conditions.

3) Poverty Reduction

Green Revolution reduces the poverty levels in the country where it is practiced. Adoption of new farming techniques continuously generates new employment opportunities in agriculture and related sectors. Also the increase in the crop yield helps in tackling the hunger situation domestically.

Disadvantages of Green Revolution

Despite having numerous advantages, Green Revolution also has its own disadvantages as discussed below.

1) Harmful to Biodiversity

Green Revolution has opened up way for the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Though, they are beneficial for the crops, they are not good for the biodiversity of the region. The chemicals got washed into the natural water resources such as ground water, streams, lakes etc and pose a threat to the existence of flora and fauna. Some of the highly susceptible species of fish and animals have known to be declined because of the use of chemical fertilizers.

2) Health Hazards

Green Revolution poses a health hazard to humans due to exposure to harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. A direct exposure to chemicals used in farming, added by a lack of safe farming practices could lead to some of the most deadly diseases like cancer. Reportedly, over 20,000 people are killed globally because of over exposure to chemicals and also for not wearing masks.

Green Revolution brought a significant change in the world agriculture industry. It helped the developing countries a lot by improving their yield and the quality of it. Still, there is a need to regularly improve Green Revolution if we have to cope with the changing times

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Are the Lessons from the Green Revolution Relevant for Agricultural Growth and Food Security in the Twenty-First Century?

• Open Access
• First Online: 02 December 2022

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• Prabhu Pingali 9  

Part of the book series: Emerging-Economy State and International Policy Studies ((EESIPS))

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The Green Revolution had profound positive impacts on human welfare and economic development across the developing world. However, its global reach was limited by agroclimatic, infrastructural, social, and political constraints. Regional disparities in poverty reduction, intra-societal inequities, and gender differences in the distribution of benefits persist even in countries that witnessed positive Green Revolution outcomes. This essay synthesizes the lessons learned and the policy redirections needed for a ‘redux’ version of the Green Revolution that enhances food and nutrition security and economic development while minimizing social, environmental, and health tradeoffs.

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Green Revolution and Sustainable Development

Introduction

1 introduction.

The Green Revolution was an epochal event that had an enormous impact on global hunger and agricultural development. It had a significant influence on the development trajectory of numerous countries, particularly those in Asia. Countries that were desperately food insecure in the 1960s have become middle-income emerging economies today, some rising rapidly toward high-income status. It is hard to imagine what the developing world would have looked like had the Green Revolution not happened. Despite the success, food insecurity continues to daunt the global community. The number of hungry and malnourished continue to be stubbornly high. A large share of the rural population across the developing world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, continues to subsist on low productive agricultural systems and live in poverty. There are incessant calls for donor and national government investments to emulate the Green Revolution experience.

As we look toward future investments in agricultural productivity growth in the developing world, it is important to consider the lessons from the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution led to rapid productivity growth, but only for a small set of crops and for favorable agroclimatic environments. Its productivity impacts on the marginal environments were limited. Small farm productivity growth transformed Asian economies, but Sub-Saharan Africa did not see similar benefits. Even in countries that were considered Green Revolution successes, inter-regional differences in productivity and rural poverty persisted. We saw significant progress in hunger reduction, but micronutrient malnutrition persists across the developing world. Productivity growth in the big three staples—rice, wheat, and maize—led to the crowding out of traditional staples, such as millets, and other micronutrient-rich crops. The environmental consequences of the Green Revolution are well known, but corrective action has been limited. The persistence of Green Revolution-era agricultural policies has dampened farm-level incentives for adopting sustainable intensification practices.

This essay presents a brief synthesis of the lessons learned from the Green Revolution, both positive and negative, and explores options for the way forward. I draw on my numerous papers on the Green Revolution, with my 2012 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) paper as a starting point. Interested readers can get further details on the arguments presented from the papers listed in the references. This chapter starts with a presentation of the positive impacts of the Green Revolution, followed by the limits to its success, and ends with a discussion on the way forward that incorporates the lessons learned.

2 Positive Impacts of the Green Revolution

2.1 impact on productivity and food prices.

The rapid increase in agricultural output resulting from the Green Revolution came from an impressive increase in yields per hectare. Between 1960 and 2000, yields for all developing countries rose 208% for wheat, 109% for rice, 157% for maize, 78% for potatoes, and 36% for cassava. Developing countries in Southeast Asia and India were the first to show the impact of the Green Revolution varieties on rice yields, with China and other Asian regions experiencing stronger yield growth in the subsequent decades. Similar yield trends were observed for wheat and maize in Asia. Analysis of agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) Footnote 1 finds similar trends to the partial productivity trends captured by yield per hectare. For the period 1970–1989, the change in global TFP for agriculture was 0.87%, which nearly doubled to 1.56% in 1990–2006 (Pingali 2012 ). Widespread adoption of Green Revolution technologies led to a significant shift in the food supply function, contributing to a fall in real food prices.

The transformation of Asia from a desperately food-deficit continent to one that is food self-sufficient and, in the case of some countries, achieving a food exporter status, is a well-known story. However, it is also important to remember that a monumental change the Green Revolution ushered in was eradicating famine in Asia. Famines had taken a toll of 80.3 million lives between 1900 and 1969. Between 1970 and 2016, the widespread mortality owing to food shortages declined to 9.2 million (Pingali and Abraham 2022 ). Asia saw the highest fall in mortality, where the last famine due to non-political reasons was the 1974 Bangladesh famine. The fact that the Green Revolution made famine history in Asia is not appreciated as much as it ought to be.

The Green Revolution-led technological change and investments led to smallholder productivity boosts, significant income growth, and massive poverty reduction in most Asian countries, kick-starting a structural transformation process. Along with the declining share of agriculture in economic output and employment, structural transformation also ushered in rising urbanization; increasing urban economic activity, driven by the industry and services sectors; income growth; and a drop in fertility rates. Many of the emerging economies of Asia today were low-income agrarian economies during the 1960s and used agriculture as an engine of growth and poverty reduction. Current divergence in the levels of economic development across Asian countries can be largely explained by their initial investments in their agricultural sectors, long-term sustained investments in agriculture and rural development, employment generation outside of agriculture, and massive investments in human capital and labor force development at all levels.

3 Where Did the Green Revolution Work?

The success of the Green Revolution was most visible in areas with high population densities and good market infrastructure. The demand for productivity growth through land intensification was highest in these areas. It is therefore not surprising that the earliest adopters of Green Revolution technologies were the densely-populated countries of Asia, such as India, China, and Indonesia. Even within these countries, there was significant intra-regional variation in the adoption of Green Revolution technologies. The irrigated and high rainfall environments quickly assumed the role of the ‘food baskets’ of the country. While the less favorable production environments, such as those with low rainfall, drought-prone areas, and poorer soils, lagged behind and continue to be food-deficit today.

In retrospect, it is not surprising that the focus of the Green Revolution was restricted to three crops—rice, wheat, and maize. These crops had a head start in research and technology investments building on the knowledge stock obtained from the US, Europe, and Japan. Green Revolution innovations, such as short stature and stiff stems, made these crops responsive to intensification inputs, such as irrigation and fertilizer application, and hence, had higher yield potential. Traditional staples, such as millets, sorghum, and tropical tubers, did not have the benefit of drawing on a similar research backlog and were not prioritized during the early phases of the Green Revolution. Although investments during the subsequent decades tried to bridge the research gap between these crops and the big three staples, their productivity and societal welfare impacts were limited.

Additionally, the strength of a country’s national agricultural research system (NARS) was crucial in Green Revolution-led productivity growth. Strong NARS, such as those in China and India, were important conduits for accessing and adapting CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) technologies and disseminating them to farmers’ fields. NARS capacity focused on the big three staples, and even the strong NARS had weaker capacity in other crops. Sustaining funding support for the NARS during the post-Green Revolution period has been a challenge, and countries that managed to provide continued high-level support saw sustained productivity gains.

Political economy imperatives, especially the management of urban food supplies and food prices, played a major role in enhancing food crop productivity in Asia. Output price supports, input and credit subsidies, and controls on the international food trade played significant roles in providing farmers the incentives for investing in modern high-yielding technologies and management practices.

4 What Were the Limits to the Green Revolution Strategy?

4.1 technology was important but only with enabling policies, institutions, and infrastructure investments.

Technological innovation played a pivotal role in the Green Revolution, but technology by itself was not sufficient to ensure success. Infrastructure investments, institutional reforms, and price incentives, all working together, were essential for the rapid adoption of modern technologies and the ensuing growth in productivity and food supplies. Numerous country case studies across Asia have documented the positive food security outcomes of government policies that brought the above four components (innovations, infrastructure, institutions, incentives) into a coherent agricultural policy. The case of Vietnam is particularly illustrative. The country transformed itself from chronic food-deficit status to a major rice exporter by completely overhauling the structure of its production system. Moving away from collective agriculture to freely operating small farms, investments in market infrastructure, and liberalization of food and agricultural commodity trade resulted in an immediate and dramatic transformation of the agricultural sector and kick-started overall economic growth. Vietnam’s agricultural liberalization policies followed closely the earlier and very successful experience of China.

4.2 The Focus on a Limited Set of Crops Crowded Out Diversity in the Food System

A significant unintended consequence of the Green Revolution has been the crowding out of nutrition-rich coarse grains, such as millets, sorghum, and pulses in Asia. Expansion of cultivated area under cereals came at the cost of coarse grains and pulses in many countries. Policies that promoted staple crop production, such as fertilizer and credit subsidies, price supports, and irrigation infrastructure (particularly for rice), tended to crowd out the production of traditional non-staple crops, such as pulses and legumes in India. Coarse grains and pulses are a significant source of critical micronutrients and proteins for the poor in Asia, which has had implications for their nutritional status, as discussed below. By the early 1990s, there was a growing recognition that food security meant more than staple grain self-sufficiency—the need for a balanced diet that included protein, vitamins, and other micronutrients, in addition to calories, was increasingly recognized. At the same time, rising incomes and urbanization led to a rise in demand for diet diversity. Yet, the diversification of production systems away from staple cereals was slow, despite the rising relative prices of non-staples. Policy and structural impediments and a weak private sector limited the supply responsiveness for vegetables and other non-staples.

4.3 Successfully Addressed Calorie Hunger, But Micronutrient Malnutrition Persisted

Nutritional gains of the Green Revolution have been uneven; while overall calorie consumption increased, and there has been a dramatic decline in the incidence of hunger, micronutrient malnutrition persisted, especially among the poor. As discussed above, the narrowing of the food system, making it more concentrated in staples cereals, had an adverse effect on micronutrient supply. Traditional crops that were important sources of critical micronutrients (such as iron, vitamin A, and zinc) were displaced in favor of the higher-value staple crops. Biodiversity loss led to the further narrowing of food diversity (Pingali 2019 ). For example, intensive rice monoculture systems led to the loss of wild leafy vegetables and fish that the poor had previously harvested from rice paddies in the Philippines. Price effects of such supply shifts further limited access to micronutrients as prices of micronutrient-dense foods rose relative to staples in many places. In India, the increasing price of legumes has been associated with a consequent decline in pulse consumption across all income groups. The calorie-dense nature of the food system has increased the risk of micronutrient malnutrition and contributed to the rise in obesity trends observed across the region today.

4.4 Inter-regional Inequalities in Poverty and Food Insecurity Persisted Despite the Green Revolution Success

The adoption of Green Revolution technologies was also limited to irrigated tracts or regions with high rainfall and low agroclimatic risks, thus leaving out marginal environments and semi-arid areas, creating regional disparities in productivity and income growth. The initial focus on the high-potential environments was undoubtedly the right strategy, given the urgent need to address hunger and food insecurity and the high probability of success building on the scientific progress made in the advanced countries. However, the strategy of replicating the success in the favorable environments by adapting the big three staples to the marginal environments did not provide the intended boost in productivity. A more balanced approach to the marginal environments would have been to focus on the crops that are naturally adapted to those environments, millets, for example. Such a strategy would have required a decentralized approach and relatively more resources but could have resulted in more inclusive growth and enhanced the overall breadth and quality of the food system. People in marginal environments have benefited from the productivity growth in the more favorable environments through lower food prices, migrant labor opportunities, and, to an extent, a reduction in the inter-regional wage gap. However, the welfare gains would have been larger if concurrent efforts were made in investments in human capital and job creation for populations migrating out of the low productive environments.

4.5 Unintended Consequences Undermined the Gains Made

While the Green Revolution was instrumental in averting hunger for millions of people, reducing poverty, and restricting the conversion of additional land for agriculture, it also had other unintended consequences. Environmental degradation resulting from injudicious use of inputs, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and water, and the rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are well documented. Human health impacts from exposure to pesticides and water contamination due to chemical runoff are also well documented. Negative externalities associated with the Green Revolution were not because of the technology per se but rather its inefficient or improper use. High levels of subsidies for chemical inputs, energy, and water, reduced incentives for being more discriminate in their use. The incentives for learning to be smarter and safer in input use were limited because of distorted input and output prices. True cost accounting of the externalities associated with intensive agricultural production systems is essential for understanding the human welfare costs associated with Green Revolution-era policies and practices.

4.6 Stickiness of Green Revolution-Era Policies Prevented Food System Transformation and Sustainability

The persistence of staple grain fundamentalism in agricultural policy hampers farmer incentives to diversify their production systems and adopt sustainable practices. During the Green Revolution, policies that promoted staple crop productivity growth prioritized rapid increases in the ‘pile of grains,’ with minimal regard for the nutritional tradeoffs and environmental externalities. These policies have been hard to get rid of even after a country has achieved staple crop self-sufficiency and shifted toward diet diversification. The political economy constraints to dismantling antiquated policies that do not address the current demand for food diversity and sustainable food systems have become a major challenge for agriculture and rural development across the developing world.

5 The Way Forward—Policy Agenda for Sustainable Food Systems

This section draws on material presented in Pingali ( 2018 ).

The challenges for agricultural development and food security improvement are as great today as they were at the start of the Green Revolution in the 1960s. We have been largely successful in addressing calorie hunger through increased supplies and access to food grains, particularly rice, wheat, and maize. However, we made limited progress in addressing ‘hidden hunger’ caused by inadequate access to micronutrient-rich foods. Transforming food systems to enhance the supply of diversity and nutrient quality is the dominant challenge for developing-country agricultural systems today. Food systems face multiple and concurrent threats, from unabated growth in food demand to intensification pressures on the agricultural resource base and the growing threat of climate-related risks; the complexity of the task ahead is significantly greater than what we faced in the past. Agricultural policy needs to evolve from its traditional focus on productivity improvement for the big three staples toward promoting sustainable food systems that meet the food and nutrition needs of the populations while also driving rural growth.

Unlike in the 1960s, developing countries are on divergent growth trajectories in the twenty-first century, from the least developed countries in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa to the middle-income emerging economies of Asia and Latin America. The pathways to agricultural growth and food security will differ by a country’s economic development stage (Pingali 2010 ). A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach used in the past is no longer appropriate in designing agricultural development programs. While the least developed countries face chronic conditions of low productivity and high levels of food insecurity, the emerging economies are rapidly moving toward market integration and agricultural commercialization. Feeding the cities with a diverse food basket provides new growth opportunities for these economies.

A policy agenda for sustainable food systems strives for simultaneous improvements in rural ecosystems’ economic, human health, social, and environmental welfare. Agricultural intensification without increasing negative externalities of agricultural production, such as diminishing biodiversity, increased GHG emissions, and land and water degradation, is important here. In addition, sustainable food systems policies explicitly address the welfare of producers, especially smallholders and the rural poor, and consumers, including considerations of nutrition and food safety. The broad elements of the food and agricultural policy agenda are presented in the following sections.

5.1 Looking Beyond Staple Crop Intensification for the Emerging Economies

Emerging economies face a myriad of challenges that have implications for food system transformation and sustainability. First, rapid growth in incomes, urbanization, and the rise of the middle class lead to the rapid diversification of diets and boost demand for higher-value crops and livestock products. Second, despite significant gains in food supply and food access, inter-regional inequalities in income and nutritional status continue to persist at high levels, especially in the more marginal agroclimatic zones bypassed by the Green Revolution. Third, reversing the negative consequences of the productivity-environment tradeoffs made during the Green Revolution is a major challenge emerging economies face as they try to transition to a more sustainable food system. There is a common thread through all the above issues, and that is a need to reexamine the emphasis given to staple crop production systems in developing countries. Also, there is a need to promote diversity across agro-ecologies and across the food system and enhance resource-conserving technical change.

5.2 Continued Relevance of the Agriculture-Led Growth Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa

For the low productivity agricultural systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Green Revolution strategy of using agriculture as an engine of economic growth and poverty reduction continues to be the ‘best bet’ option. However, unlike in the past, agricultural productivity growth cannot be restricted to the big three staples. It should be inclusive of traditional staples, such as millets, sorghum, and cassava; these crops tend to have higher nutrient content and are better adapted to the agroclimates of the region. Unlike in the case of rice and wheat, the opportunities for technology transfer of these crops to Sub-Saharan Africa from Asia are limited. Africa-based research and development programs are essential and need to be strengthened. Building food system resilience is also a necessary part of the strategy through investments in irrigation infrastructure, promotion of drought-tolerant crop varieties and animal breeds, information services to empower farmers to anticipate and manage crises, and innovations in agricultural insurance. Low-income countries are becoming increasingly integrated into the global food economy, and hence, the sustainability of small farm systems would require them to be competitive and integrated into markets rather than be focused primarily on subsistence production systems.

5.3 R&D for Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security

Agricultural research is often cited as the single-best investment in increasing productivity and reducing poverty in the developing world. Among many investments made in agricultural research during the past five decades, South Asia’s Green Revolution—the doubling of the yields and output of South Asia’s major food staples between 1965 and 1985—is one of the most-cited examples of this high payoff. Continued high levels of investments are needed to enhance the productivity of the major staple grains—rice, wheat, and maize—to meet their rising demand due to population and income growth.

Additionally, productivity gains in traditional staples, such as cassava, millets, barley, and sorghum, that were not the initial focus of the Green Revolution, need to be focused on to improve the diversity of diets and essential micronutrient availability. Such investments could provide new opportunities for growth in the marginal production environments and enhance the supply and accessibility of micronutrient-rich food to the rural poor. There is also an urgent need for R&D investments in making food crops climate-sensitive, especially in marginal production environments.

Biofortification of staple and non-staple food can be a sustainable means of reducing immediate concerns of micronutrient deficiency. Essential micronutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin A, can be accessed through biofortified foods cost-effectively. Biofortification may be an effective approach to remedy deficiencies and ought to be seen as a complement to the promotion of non-staple micronutrient-rich crops.

Research and technology development are also essential for enhancing input use efficiency, focusing on soil fertility, water use efficiency, and pest resistance. Modern information and communication technology (ICT) tools, such as geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing, could contribute significantly to the sustainable use of inputs. Research on delivery systems for these intrinsically knowledge-intensive technologies is crucial, especially in developing-country smallholder systems. Policy research for effective means of reducing incentive distortions in adopting and using efficiency-enhancing technologies is also essential.

5.4 Promoting Food System Diversity

Despite rising demand, the persistence of Green Revolution-era policies and structural impediments, as well as a weak private sector, limited the supply responsiveness for vegetables, non-staple food, and other sources of food, including livestock and aquaculture. Creating a ‘level policy playing field’ that corrects the historical bias in favor of staple crops would help improve the incentives for diversification of production into non-staple foods. An agricultural policy that is ‘crop-neutral’ (i.e., one that does not favor a particular set of commodities) removes distortions and allows farmers to respond to market signals in making crop production choices (Pingali 2015 ).

In addition to leveling the playing field, investments in road and transport infrastructure and cold storage systems are required for developing markets for perishable products. Investments in market information systems and farmer connectivity, especially through mobile phones, could significantly cut transaction costs for market participation. Policies promoting food safety should be a priority for upgrading traditional markets and ensuring that human health is safeguarded (Pingali et al. 2015 ). In addition to reducing foodborne illness and disease, food safety policies can make traditional markets viable places for procurement by modern retail value chains.

Investments in general literacy and specialized training for farmers in meeting quality and safety standards for high-value crops would help integrate smallholders into market value chains. Finally, institutional investments in establishing clear property rights to land and other assets, formalized contractual arrangements that depersonalize market transactions, and access to finance (that is not tied to particular commodities) are essential for diversifying production systems.

5.5 Growth that is Inclusive of Rural Women

Despite having an important role in production, women face high costs in accessing capital, engaging in entrepreneurial activities, and adopting technological inputs and mechanization. Therefore, in many developing countries, women-headed households have lower yields and incomes due to poor access to markets and productive resources, affecting their contributions to agricultural productivity. Closing the gender gap and addressing gender-specific transaction costs and agricultural production constraints is crucial to increasing agricultural productivity and women’s empowerment.

The two major interventions needed to address gender-specific challenges in agriculture are improved access to product markets and labor savings for rural women. Policy initiatives to promote women’s organizations and build capacity to make them self-sustaining are important to tackle gender-specific challenges in production and marketing. Gender-sensitive value chains that make women’s participation in high-value markets easier are essential. As women are often involved in agricultural labor and non-marketed household labor, measures to improve labor efficiency and productivity of women will enable cost savings and free up time. Labor-saving technology through mechanization in agriculture is needed to reduce drudgery.

5.6 Managing Climate Change Impacts

Mitigating the effects of climate change and the need to increase yield simultaneously will pose a major challenge to the growth and development of the agricultural sector. This challenge could be particularly important for crops that are important to the poor, such as millets and cassava. Little is known about the long-term climate impacts on crops beyond the major staples. To offset the current impact of climate change, investment in R&D to promote heat- and drought-resistant crop technologies and infrastructure investment, like micro-irrigation systems, are necessary. Making these technologies easily accessible to smallholders is also crucial. Policy interventions to promote sustainable agricultural intensification are essential to managing the dual challenge of climate change and productivity growth.

Recollections of Professor Keijiro Otsuka

I first met Professor Kejiro Otsuka in 1987 when I joined the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. We have been colleagues and close friends since then. Kei Otsuka’s research on technical change in small farm agricultural systems in Asia has had a profound impact on our understanding of the Green Revolution. Kei’s research on technology transfer from Asia to Africa has been extremely influential in African agricultural development policy. Kei is a true economist; he always reaches back into his learnings of economic theory and principles to provide explanations and solutions for real-world problems in developing countries. I am honored and delighted to be part of the Festschrift celebrating his enormous lifetime achievements.

TFP is defined as the ratio of total output to total inputs in a production process.

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Pingali, P. (2023). Are the Lessons from the Green Revolution Relevant for Agricultural Growth and Food Security in the Twenty-First Century?. In: Estudillo, J.P., Kijima, Y., Sonobe, T. (eds) Agricultural Development in Asia and Africa. Emerging-Economy State and International Policy Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5542-6_2

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Green Revolution

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Green Revolution

Green revolution [latest news].

The Green Revolution (a term used for rapid increases in wheat and rice yields in developing countries brought about by improved varieties combined with the expanded use of fertilizers and other chemical inputs) has had a dramatic impact on incomes and food supplies in many developing countries.

Green Revolution In India PDF Download PDF Here

Green Revolution In News (MS Swaminathan Passes Away)

MS Swaminathan, the Father of the Indian Green Revolution, passed away on 28 September 2023, in Chennai aged 98. To know more about M S Swaminathan, ( August 7, 1925) the father of the Green Revolution in India, kindly check the linked article. 

The term green revolution was first used by William Gaud. Norman Borlaug is considered the Father of the Green Revolution. 

In the year 1965, the government of India launched the Green Revolution with the help of a geneticist, now known as the father of the Green Revolution (India) M.S. Swaminathan . The movement of the Green Revolution was a great success and changed the country’s status from a food-deficient economy to one of the world’s leading agricultural nations. It started in 1967 and lasted till 1978.

Aspirants must go through all important agricultural revolutions that have taken place, for the IAS Exam preparation:

This article shares details on the Green Revolution, its meaning and features, and how there has been a boost in agricultural production efficiency because of the green revolution in India. You will also know about various schemes under the Green Revolution in India. 

The Green Revolution within India led to an increase in agricultural production, especially in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. Major milestones in this undertaking were the development of a high-yielding variety of seeds of wheat and rust-resistant strains of wheat.

Knowledge of the Green Revolution in India is important from the point of view of various competitive exams. Candidates preparing for bank exams, SSC, RRB, Insurance exam, or other Government exams must keep abreast with the Green Revolution as questions related to this topic are asked in the general awareness section of the exams. 

Aspirants of the UPSC exam should understand the Green Revolution topic for Static GK section and Geography GS I Paper.  

Table of Contents:

Aspects of Green Revolution in India

• High Yielding Varieties (HYV)
• Mechanization of Agriculture
• Use of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides

The Green Revolution is referred to as the process of increasing agricultural production by incorporating modern tools and techniques.  Green Revolution is associated with agricultural production. It is the period when agriculture of the country was converted into an industrial system due to the adoption of modern methods and techniques like the use of high yielding variety seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides, and fertilizers.  Until 1967, the government majorly concentrated on expanding the farming areas. But the rapidly increasing population than the food production called for a drastic and immediate action to increase yield which came in the form of the Green Revolution.

The method of green revolution focused on three basic elements, that are:

• Using seeds with improved genetics (High Yielding Variety seeds).
• Double cropping in the existing farmland and,
• The continuing expansion of farming areas

Schemes Under Green Revolution (India)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Umbrella Scheme Green Revolution – ‘Krishonnati Yojana’ in the agriculture sector for the period of three years from 2017 to 2020 with the Central Share of Rs. 33,269.976 crore.The Umbrella scheme Green revolution- Krishonnati Yojana comprises 11 Schemes under it and all these schemes look to develop the agriculture and allied sector in a scientific and holistic manner so as to increase the income of farmers by increasing productivity, production, and better returns on produce, strengthening production infrastructure, reducing the cost of production and marketing of agriculture and allied produce. The 11 schemes that are part of the Umbrella Schemes under the Green revolution are:

• MIDH – Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture – It aims to promote the comprehensive growth of the horticulture sector, enhance the production of the sector, improve nutritional security, and increase income support to household farms. This mission was undertaken to establish production clusters and hubs to encourage the development of infrastructural facilities for processing, post-harvest management, and exports.
• NFSM – National Food Security Mission – This includes NMOOP – National Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil Palm. The aim of this scheme is to increase the production of wheat pulses, rice, coarse cereals and commercial crops, productivity enhancement, and area expansion in a suitable manner, enhancing farm level economy, restoring soil fertility and productivity at the individual farm level. It further aims to reduce imports and increase the availability of vegetable oils and edible oils in the country.
• NMSA – National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture – the aim is to promote sustainable agriculture practices that are best suitable to the specific agro-ecology focusing on integrated farming, appropriate soil health management, and synergizing resource conservation technology. It also strives to minimise farmers’ agricultural costs through sustainable integrated organic farming systems, hence increasing farmers’ net income per unit of land, and producing chemical-free and nutritious food for human consumption in a sustainable manner.
• SMAE – Submission on Agriculture Extension – this scheme aims to strengthen the ongoing extension mechanism of State Governments, local bodies, etc. achieving food security and socio-economic empowerment of farmers, to forge effective linkages and synergy amongst various stakeholders, to institutionalize program planning and implementation mechanism, support HRD interventions, promote pervasive and innovative use of electronic and print media, interpersonal communication, and ICT tools, etc.
• SMSP – Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material –  This aims to increase the production of quality seed, upgrade the quality of farm-saved seeds and increase SRR, strengthen the seed multiplication chain, and promote new methods and technologies in seed production, processing, testing, etc., to strengthen and modernize infrastructure for seed production, storage, quality, and certification, etc.
• SMAM – Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation – aims to increase the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low, to promote ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership, to create hubs for hi-tech and high-value farm equipment, to create awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and capacity building activities, and to ensure performance testing and certification at designated testing centres located all over the country.
• SMPPQ – Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine –  the aim of this scheme is to minimize loss to quality and yield of agricultural crops from insects, pests, weeds, etc., to shield our agricultural bio-security from the incursions and spread of alien species, to facilitate exports of Indian agricultural commodities to global markets, and to promote good agricultural practices, particularly with respect to plant protection strategies and strategies.
• ISACES – Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics, and Statistics – this aims to undertake the agriculture census, undertake research studies on agro-economic problems of the country, study the cost of cultivation of principal crops, fund conferences, workshops, and seminars involving eminent agricultural scientists, economists, experts so as to bring out papers to conduct short term studies, improve agricultural statistics methodology and to create a hierarchical information system on crop condition and crop production from sowing to harvest.
• ISAC – Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation aims to provide financial assistance for improving the economic conditions of cooperatives, remove regional imbalances, to speed up cooperative development in agricultural processing, storage, marketing, computerization, and weaker section programs; ensuring the supply of quality yarn at reasonable rates to the decentralized weavers and help cotton growers fetch a remunerative price for their produce through value addition.
• ISAM – Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing – this scheme aims to develop agricultural marketing infrastructure; to promote innovative technologies and competitive alternatives in agriculture marketing infrastructure; to provide infrastructure facilities for grading, standardization, and quality certification of agricultural produce; to establish a nation­wide marketing information network; to integrate markets through a common online market platform to facilitate pan-India trade in agricultural commodities, etc.
• And, NeGP-A – National e-Governance Plan aims to bring farmer-centric & service-oriented programs; to improve access of farmers to information and services throughout the crop-cycle and enhance the reach and impact of extension services; to build upon, enhance and integrate the existing ICT initiatives of the Centre and States; to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of programs through providing timely and relevant information to the farmers for increasing their agriculture productivity.

Green Revolution (Features)

• Introduced High Yielding Variety seeds in Indian agriculture. 
• The HYV seeds were highly effective in regions that had rich irrigation facilities and were more successful with the wheat crop. Therefore, the Green Revolution at first focused on states with better infrastructure such as Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
• During the second phase, the high yielding variety seeds were given to other states, and crops other than wheat were also included in the plan. 
• The most important requirement for the high yielding variety seeds is proper irrigation. Crops grown from HYV seeds need good amounts of water supply and farmers could not depend on monsoon. Hence, the Green Revolution has improved the irrigation systems around farms in India.
• Commercial crops and cash crops such as cotton, jute, oilseeds, etc were not a part of the plan. Green revolution in India mainly emphasized food grains such as wheat and rice. 
• To enhance farm productivity green revolution increased the availability and use of fertilizers, weedicides, and pesticides to reduce any damage or loss to the crops.
• It also helped in promoting commercial farming in the country with the introduction of machinery and technology like harvesters, drills, tractors, etc.

Aspirants of any competitive exams can check the important links given below to boost their preparation:

Impact of Green Revolution in India

• Green Revolution has remarkably increased Agricultural Production. Foodgrains in India saw a great rise in output. The biggest beneficiary of the revolution was the Wheat Grain. The production increased to 55 million tonnes in the early stage of the plan itself. 
• Not just limited to agricultural output the revolution also increased per Acre yield. Green Revolution increased the per hectare yield in the case of wheat from 850 kg per hectare to an incredible 2281 kg/hectare in its early stage.
• With the introduction of the Green revolution, India reached its way to self-sufficiency and was less dependent on imports. The production in the country was sufficient to meet the demand of the rising population and to stock it for emergencies. Rather than depending on the import of food grains from other countries India started exporting its agricultural produce. 
• The introduction of the revolution inhibited a fear among the masses that commercial farming would lead to unemployment and leave a lot of the labour force jobless. But the result seen was totally different there was a rise in rural employment. The tertiary industries such as transportation, irrigation, food processing, marketing, etc created employment opportunities for the workforce.
• The Green Revolution in India majorly benefited the farmers of the country. Farmers not only survived but also prospered during the revolution their income saw a significant rise which enabled them to shift from sustenance farming to commercial farming.

Besides the positive impact, the revolution had a gloomy side too.  Some of the negative effects of the Green Revolution are stated below:

• Retardation of agricultural growth due to inadequate irrigation cover, shrinking farm size, failure to evolve new technologies, inadequate use of technology, declining plan outlay, unbalanced use of inputs, and weaknesses in credit delivery system.
• Regional dispersal of the evolution created regional inequalities. The benefits of the green revolution remained concentrated in the areas where the new technology was used. Moreover, since the revolution for the number of years remained limited to wheat production, its benefits were mostly accrued only to wheat-growing areas.
• Interpersonal inequalities between large and small scale farmers. The new technologies introduced during the revolution called for substantial investments which were beyond the means of a majority of small farmers. Farmers having large farmlands continued to make greater absolute gains in income by reinvesting the earnings in farm and non-farm assets, purchasing land from the smaller cultivators, etc.

Knowledge of the Green revolution, Schemes under the Green revolution its aspects, features, and impact are important for various exams, especially the most coveted UPSC exam. Candidates can also read about the  agricultural revolutions in India in the linked article. 

FAQ about Green Revolution

Who started green revolution in india, what were the high yielding variety crops concentrated during green revolution, what was the aim of green revolution in india, what is the conclusion of green revolution in india, what are five major benefits of green revolution.

Major benefits that accrue to green revolution are:

• Increase in Agricultural Production
• Prosperity of Farmers
• Reduction in import of food-grains
• Capitalistic Farming
• Ploughing back of profit
• Industrial Growth
• Rural Employment

Candidates can find out what are the topics in the UPSC Exams by visiting the UPSC Syllabus page. For more preparation materials they can refer to the links given in the table below. 

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Essay on Green Revolution in India

In this essay we will discuss about Green Revolution in India. After reading this essay you will learn about: 1. Subject Matter of Green Revolution 2. Important Features of Green Revolution 3. Arguments in Favour  4. Impact 5. Achievements 6. Weaknesses.

Contents Green Revolution in India :

• Essay on the Weaknesses of Green Revolution

Essay # 1. Subject Matter of Green Revolution:

The new agricultural strategy was adopted in India during the Third Plan, i.e., during 1960s. As suggested by the team of experts of the Ford Foundation in its report “India’s Crisis of Food and Steps to Meet it” in 1959 the Government decided to shift the strategy followed in agricultural sector of the country.

Thus, the traditional agricultural practices followed in India are gradually being replaced by modern technology and agricultural practices.

This report of Ford Foundation suggested to introduce intensive effort for raising agricultural production and productivity in selected regions of the country through the introduction of modern inputs like fertilisers, credit, marketing facilities etc.

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Accordingly, in 1960, from seven states seven districts were selected and the Government introduced a pilot project known as Intensive Area Development Programme (IADP) into those seven districts.

Later on, this programme was extended to remaining states and one district from each state was selected for intensive development. Accordingly, in 1965, 144 districts (out of 325) were selected for intensive cultivation and the programme was renamed as Intensive Agricultural Areas Programme (IAAP).

During the period of mid-1960s, Prof. Norman Borlaug of Mexico developed new high yielding varieties of wheat and accordingly various countries started to apply this new variety with much promise. Similarly, in the kharif season in 1966, India adopted High Yielding Varieties Programme (HYVP) for the first time.

This programme was adopted as a package programme as the very success of this programme depends upon adequate irrigation facilities, application of fertilizers, high yielding varieties of seeds, pesticides, insecticides etc. In this way a new technology was gradually adopted in Indian agriculture. This new strategy is also popularly known as modern agricultural technology or green revolution.

In the initial stage, HYVP alongwith IAAP was implemented in 1.89 million hectares of area. Gradually the coverage of the programme was enlarged and in 1995-96, total area covered by this HYVP programme was estimated 75.0 million hectares which accounted to early 43 per cent of the total net sown area of the country.

As the new HYV seeds require shorter duration to grow thus it paved way for the introduction of multiple cropping, i.e., to have two or even three crops throughout the year.

Farmers producing wheat in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi started to demand heavily new Mexican varieties of seeds like Lerma Rojo, Sonara-64, Kalyan and P.V.-18. But in case of production of rice, although new HYV varieties of seeds like T.N.-l, ADT-17, Tinen-3 and IR-8 were applied but the result was not very much encouraging. Some degree of success was only achieved in respect of IR-8.

Essay # 2. Important Features of Green Revolution:

Following are some of important features of Green Revolution:

(i) Revolutionary:

The Green revolution is considered as revolutionary in character as it is based as new technology, new ideas, new application of inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation water, pesticides etc. As all these were brought suddenly and spread quickly to attain dramatic results thus it is termed as revolution in green agriculture.

(ii) HYV Seeds:

The most important strategy followed in green revolution is the application of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds. Most of these HYV seeds are of dwarf variety (shorter stature) and matures in a shorter period of time and can be useful where sufficient and assured water supply is available. Thus seeds also require four to ten times more of fertilizers than that of traditional variety.

(iii) Confined to Wheat Revolution:

Green revolution has been largely confined to Wheat crop neglecting the other crops. Green revolution was first introduced to wheat cultivation in those areas where sample quantity of water was available throughout the year through irrigation.

Presently 90 per cent of land engaged in wheat cultivation is benefitted from this new agricultural strategy. Most of the HYV seeds are related to wheat crop and major portion of chemical fertilizer are also used in wheat cultivation. Therefore, green revolution can be largely considered as wheat revolution.

(iv) Narrow Spread:

The area covered through green revolution was initially very narrow as it was very much confined to Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh only. It is only in recent years that coverage of green revolution is gradually being extended to other states like West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and other southern states.

Essay # 3. Arguments in Favour of Green Revolution in India:

Introduction of new agricultural strategy in India has certain arguments in its favour.

These are as follows:

Firstly, India being a vast agricultural country the adoption of intensive approach is the only way to make a breakthrough in the agricultural sector within the shortest possible time.

Secondly, considering the food crisis faced by the country during 1960s it was quite necessary to adopt this new strategy for meeting the growing requirement of food in our country.

Thirdly, as the introduction of HYVP programme has been able to raise the agricultural productivity significantly, thus this new agricultural strategy is economically justified.

Fourthly, as the agricultural inputs required for the adoption of new strategy is scarce thus it would be quite beneficial to adopt this strategy in a selective way only on some promising areas so as to reap maximum benefit from intensive cultivation.

Fifthly, adoption of new strategy has its spread effect. Reaping a good yield through HYVP would induce the other farmers to adopt this new technique. Thus due to its spread effect the overall productivity of Indian agriculture would rise.

Lastly, increased agricultural productivity through the adoption of new strategy will have its secondary and tertiary effects. As the increased production of food through HYVP would reduce food imports and thus release scarce foreign exchange for other purposes. Moreover, increased production of commercial crops would also lead to expansion of agro-based industries in the country, especially in the rural areas.

Essay # 4. Impact of Green Revolution:

Introduction of new agricultural strategy or green revolution has created huge impact on the economy of the country.

These are discussed below:

(i) Increase in Agricultural Production:

Due to the adoption of new agricultural strategy the volume of agricultural production and productivity has recorded manifold increase. The production of wheat, rice, maize and potatoes has increased substantially. Total production of foodgrains in India increased from 81.0 million tonnes (annual average) during the Third Plan to 264.8 million tonnes in 2013-2014.

This has become possible due to the introduction of Special Foodgrains Production Programme (SFPP) and the Special Rice Production Programme (SRPP).

(ii) Increasing Employment Opportunities:

The introduction of new agricultural strategy has led to considerable expansion of agricultural employment. Due to the introduction of multiple cropping, job opportunities in the rural areas has also expanded as the demand for hired workers required for farm activities increased simultaneously.

(iii) Strengthening the Forward and Backward Linkages:

Although traditional linkages between agriculture and industry were existing since a long back, but green revolution has strengthened the linkages. Strong forward linkage of agriculture with industry was noticed even in the traditional agriculture as agriculture supplied various inputs to industries.

But the backward linkage of agriculture to industry, i.e., in the form of agriculture using finished products of industry, was very weak. But introduction of modern technology to agriculture has raised a huge demand for agricultural inputs now produced and supplied by industries.

Thus, modernisation of agriculture and development of agro-based industries has strengthened both forward and the backward linkages between agriculture and the industry.

(iv) Increase in Regional Disparities:

Introduction of new technology in agriculture has widened the regional disparities as only some regions well endowed with resources and irrigation potential have benefitted most from the introduction of modern technology.

The coverage of green revolution has been raised from a mere 1.89 million hectares in 1966-67 to only 71.3 million hectares in 1994-95 which accounts to nearly 42 per cent of gross cropped area of the country.

Moreover, as the green revolution was very much restricted to production of wheat thus the benefits were very much restricted to 20.4 million hectares of area engaged in wheat production (only 12 per cent of gross cropped area). Moreover, only those areas having irrigation facilities and package of other inputs could achieve success in HYVP of wheat.

Thus, accordingly the regions of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh derived the benefits of new agricultural strategy. But the agriculture of the remaining more than 80 per cent of the cropped area of the country is still depending on vagaries of the monsoons in the absence of irrigation facilities.

Accordingly the combined share of Northern States (Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh) in respect of total production of foodgrains has increased from 29.5 per cent during 1970-71 to 1972-73 to 37.1 per cent during the period 1986-87 to 1988-89. Again the Western States of Gujarat and Maharashtra registered only a marginal increase from 7.9 per cent to 8.6 per cent during the same period.

But the combined share of Eastern States and Southern States has declined from 22.3 per cent to 19.8 per cent and 20.3 per cent to 17.2 per cent respectively. This shows how the introduction of new agricultural strategy into some restricted areas has widened the regional disparity in respect of agricultural production and productivity of the country.

(v) Inter-Personal Inequalities:

Green revolution has created some impact on inter-personal inequalities. But economists; are divided on this issue. Some micro level studies reveal that inter-personal inequalities have enlarged but some other studies show that the degree of inter-personal inequalities have either narrowed down or remained neutral.

The studies conducted by Francine R. Frankel, G.R. Saini and Pranab Bardhan revealed that the large farmers are benefitted most from the green revolution but other studies made by J.R. Westley, Usha Nagpal and George Blyn showed that the inequalities have narrowed down as small farmers are also benefitted considerably from green revolution.

(vi) No response from Small and Marginal Farmers:

Small and marginal farmers in India could not be able to adopt new strategy due to their poor financial condition and poor creditworthiness. Majority of rural household having small size of land or no land has derived negligible benefit from this new technology.

(vii) Market Oriented:

Introduction of new technology in agriculture has transformed the farmers market oriented. Indian farmers are mostly depending on market for getting their inputs as well as for selling their output. Moreover, farmers are also depending much on institutional credit available in the market to meet cost of adoption of new technology.

(viii) Change in Attitudes:

Green revolution has contributed favourably to change the attitudes of farmers in India. Agricultural operation has enhanced its status from subsistence activity to commercial farming due to the adoption of new strategy.

Wolf Ladejinsky observed that, “Where the ingredients for new technology are available, no farmer denies their effectiveness. The desire for better farming methods and a better standard of living is growing not only among relatively small number of the affluent using the new technology, but also among countless farmers still from the outside looking in”.

The evidence of qualitative changes in attitudes can be observed from the short and long term investment decision of the farmers, i.e., increasing application of current inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizer, pesticides etc. and their investment in tube-wells, pump sets for irrigation.

Thus, during the period from 1966-67 to 1989-90, the area under HYVP has increased from 1.89 million hectares to 63.9 million hectares, consumption of fertilizer also increased from 2.9 lakh tonnes to 126 lakh tonnes, the number of irrigation pump sets with electrically operated tubewells increased from 13 per lakh hectares of gross cropped area to 3995 in 1988. Thus, Khusro has rightly mentioned, “no one could see such remarkable figures of annual percentage increase in inputs, and yet to surmise that a structural change had not occurred.”

(ix) Unwanted Social Consequences:

Green revolution has also raised certain unwanted social consequences. Various socio-economic studies have confirmed these consequences. Green revolution paves the way for transforming a large number of tenants and share-croppers into agricultural labourers due to large-scale eviction of tenants by large farmers as they find large-scale farming is highly profitable.

Thus G. Parthasarathy in his presidential address delivered at 46th Annual Conference of Indian Society of Agricultural Economics 1986, observed that “The polarisation process that accentuates the rural class difference has been further intensified by the green revolution.”

Moreover, increased mechanisation of farm has resulted huge number of accidents which maimed more than 10,000 farm labourers in India till 1985. Again the increasing application of poisonous pesticides, without realising its health hazards has added a serious health problem.

The International Development Research Centre, Ottawa has reported about 7.5 lakh cases of acute poisoning with different types of pesticides. But surprisingly no provision for workmen compensation has yet been made in India.

In the end, it can be observed that inspite of increase in the production of foodgrains, the country is facing a difficult situation. While the population of the country has crossed 1.2 billion mark by 2011, the demand for foodgrains will also rise to 270 million tonnes.

As the production has reached 264.8 million tonnes in 2013-14 thus the country will have to raise the production of foodgrains by 6 million tonnes within next two years.

This is no doubt an uphill task. At this moment what is required is the development of a low- cost technology for agriculture which can be easily adopted by small farmers due to its cost efficiency. Thus to meet the requirement of foodgrains, the coverage of green revolution should be extended by any means.

Essay # 5. Achievements of Green Revolution:

Let us now turn our analysis towards the achievement of new agricultural strategy adopted in India. The most important achievement of new strategy is the substantial increase in the production of major cereals like rice and wheat. Table 7.9 shows increase in the production of food crops since 1960-61.

Table 7.9 reveals that the production of rice has increased from 35 million tonnes in 1960-61 to 54 million tonnes in 1980-81 and then to 106.5 million tonnes in 2013-14, showing a major breakthrough in its production. The yield per hectare has also improved from 1013 kgs in 1960 to 1,101 kg in 2013-2014.

Again the production of wheat has also increased significantly from 11 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 36 million tonnes in 1980-81 and then to 95.9 million tonnes in 2013-2014. During this period, the yield per hectare also increased from 850 kgs to 3,075 kgs per hectare which shows that the yield rate has increased by 369 per cent during last six decades. All these improvements resulted from the adoption of new agricultural strategy in the production of wheat and rice.

Total production of foodgrains in India has been facing wide fluctuations due to vagaries of monsoons. Inspite of these fluctuations, total production of foodgrains rose from 82 million tonnes in 1960-61 to 130 million tonnes in 1980-81 and then to 213.5 million tonnes in 2003-04 and then increased to 264.8 million tonnes in 2013-14.

The new agricultural strategy was very much restricted to the production of foodgrains, mostly wheat and rice. Thus, the commercial crops like sugarcane, cotton, jute, oilseeds could not achieve a significant increase in its production. This can be seen from Table 7.10.

Table 7.10 reveals that the production of sugarcane and other cash crops recorded some increase during last five decades but this increase cannot be termed a significant one. Thus, the green revolution was very much confined to mainly wheat production and its achievements in respect of other food crops and cash crops were not at all significant.

Essay # 6. Weaknesses of Green Revolution:

Following are some of basic weaknesses of new agricultural strategy:

(a) Adoption of new agricultural strategy through IADP and HYVP led to the growth of capitalist farming in Indian agriculture as the adoption of these programmes were very much restricted among the big farmers, necessitating a heavy amount of investment.

(b) The new agricultural strategy failed to recognise the need for institutional reforms in Indian agriculture.

(c) Green revolution widened the disparity in income among the rural population.

(d) New agricultural strategy alongwith increased mechanisation of agriculture created a problem of labour displacement.

(e) Green revolution widened the inter-regional disparities in farm production and income.

(f) Green revolution has led to some undesirable social consequences arising from incapacitation due to accidents and acute poisoning from the use of pesticides.

Related Articles:

• Achievements of New Green Revolution in India
• Green Revolution: Effects and Limitations of the Green Revolution
• Main Defects Found in Green Revolution
• Effects of Green Revolution (GR) on Indian Economy

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