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Green Revolution & Biotechnology Impact

- 19th century economist Thomas Malthus believed that population growth would inevitably outpace food production, leading to famine. However, history has proven him wrong due to developments like the Green Revolution. - The Green Revolution, beginning in the 1950s, greatly increased agricultural production through the adoption of new grain varieties, improved farming techniques like irrigation and mechanization, and increased use of fertilizer and pesticides. This allowed food production to outpace population growth in developing countries. - While increasing yields, the Green Revolution also had drawbacks like favoring wealthy farmers, increasing farmer debt, lack of disease resistance in monocrops, and environmental issues. New biotechnologies now allow for further genetic modification of crops.

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201 views17 pages

Green Revolution & Biotechnology Impact

- 19th century economist Thomas Malthus believed that population growth would inevitably outpace food production, leading to famine. However, history has proven him wrong due to developments like the Green Revolution. - The Green Revolution, beginning in the 1950s, greatly increased agricultural production through the adoption of new grain varieties, improved farming techniques like irrigation and mechanization, and increased use of fertilizer and pesticides. This allowed food production to outpace population growth in developing countries. - While increasing yields, the Green Revolution also had drawbacks like favoring wealthy farmers, increasing farmer debt, lack of disease resistance in monocrops, and environmental issues. New biotechnologies now allow for further genetic modification of crops.

Uploaded by

Habib Ullah
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THE GREEN REVOLUTION

§ (The Third
Agricultural
Revolution)
§ And Biotechnology
THOMAS MALTHUS
§ 19th century economist

§ Believed that because population grows


geometrically and food production
arithmetically famine was inevitable.

§ Slowing the growth of population was the only


possibility to prevent starvation

History (so far) has proven Malthus wrong . . .


POPULATION and FOOD PRODUCTION GROWTH
Percentage increases 1980-1990

LDCs MDCs

POPULATION

FOOD PRODUCTION

PER CAPITA INCREASE IN


FOOD PRODUCTION

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%


INCREASE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION PER CAPITA
GREEN REVOLUTION
A complex of improvements which greatly
increased agricultural production

§ Since 1950’s § Adoption of new,


§ Greatest effect felt in improved varieties of
LDCs grains
§ Agricultural output § Application of better
outpaced population agricultural
growth even without techniques
adding additional § Irrigation
cropland § Mechanization
§ Use of fertilizer
§ Use of pesticides
Principal Beneficiaries of the Green Revolution

§ WHEAT § RICE § BOTH


Mexico Thailand India
Egypt Vietnam China
Turkey Korea Pakistan
Indonesia
“Green Revolution”
“Green Revolution”
drawbacks
§ Favored farmers who could afford seeds,
inputs, machines, irrigation

§ Indebted farmers lost land, moved to cities

§ New “monocrops” lacked resistance to


disease/pests

§ Environmental contamination, erosion

§ Oriented to export “cash crops,” not domestic


food
Biotechnology:
Using organisms to…
§ Make or modify products

§ Improve plants or animals

§ Develop new microorganisms

§ Crossing natural divides between species


§ Not just crossbreeding
Genetic Engineering
Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO)

Consumer concerns
began in Europe,
now in U.S. too
“FRANKENFOODS”
GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS - WORLDWIDE

120

100

80
millions of acres

60

40

20

0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
G ENETICALLY MODIFIED CRO PS - 2000

Others, 9%

Argentina, 23%

USA, 68%
Bovine Growth
Hormone (BGH)

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