Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Green Revolution

Good Essays
751 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Green Revolution
With the rapid growth of the population on the earth, something had to be done. The Green Revolution occurred to help the problem. The Green Revolution is the great increase in production of food grains due to the introduction of high-yielding varieties, to the use of pesticides, and to better management techniques. (“Green Revolution”) About four decades after the Green Revolution helped produce food in great amounts, organic farming was employed in various places in the world to avoid the bad side affects of modern agriculture. Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses fertilizers and pesticides but excludes the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge, and nanomaterials. (“Introduction to Organic Farming”) Although the Green Revolution and organic farming are both related in the field of agriculture, their differences will also be discussed in this essay. Beginning in the 1940’s, the Green Revolution was an important period in the modern history of agriculture after World War ll. The Green Revolution was a phase of the third agricultural revolution in which new strains of hybrid seeds and fertilizers were invented that significantly increased the crop production. It began in Mexico with agricultural experimentation by Norman Borlaug (funded by the Rockefeller Foundation) finding ways to improve Mexico’s wheat grain production capabilities to reduce hunger in that region. Scientists found new hybrid strains of wheat, maize, and rice that were higher-yielding. This replaced human work with machines or what is also known as mechanization. They also developed new fertilizers and pesticides that aided the higher-yielding seeds that increased protection from diseases and pest infections and needed special nitrogen-enriching fertilizers. Instead of alleviating hunger, new machinery, “miracle” seeds, elaborate irrigation systems, and potent fertilizers were devastating the land, destroying traditional modes of agricultural production, and shattering ancient social structures. (Barron’s) A couple of the side effects have led to the amount of human labor needed on the farm in some areas to cut many jobs and driving local farmers in peripheral countries out of business because of the expensive green revolution seeds and technologies. As you can see, the Green Revolution had good intentions but ended with bad economical and environmental outcomes. On the contrary, organic farming began in the mid 1920’s in Central Europe through the work of Rudolf Steiner who created biodynamic agriculture, an early version of organic farming. Unlike the Green Revolution, organic farming relies heavily on the natural breakdown of organic matter, using methods like green manure and composting, to replace nutrients taken from the soil by previous crops. This process, allows the natural production of nutrients in the soil throughout the growing season. What makes these things organic is how close they stay in their natural state. When growing organic goods, farmers do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers on crops, and they reject the use of synthetic hormones, antibiotics or other medications in their livestock. (“How Organic Farming Works”) Animals are provided with organic feed and are allowed to roam outdoors. One environmental difference organic farming differs compared to the Green Revolution is that organic fertilizers (e.g. compost, animal manure, green manure) are used to enhance the soil structure and water infiltration. During the Green Revolution, pesticides and chemicals from fertilizers entwined into the water and contaminated it leaving it unhealthy to the environment. Organic farming is a natural way foods are produced without the mass production and modification that the Green Revolution offered. In the end, Organic farming is on the rise despite the fact that the Green Revolution still mass-produces foods at a health provoking rate. With all of this in mind, the pros of the Green Revolution are that farmers can grow and export crops for profit, can grow any crop virtually anywhere, and have the capability of growing crops on a massive scale. On the other hand, organic farming offers greater nutritional value, food that is free of contamination, and a healthier body condition. The Green Revolution produces crops that are genetically modified and produced on a massive scale. Organic farming takes more skill and time from farmers. Together the pros and cons explain the differences they both possess. How long will it take until organic farming is outweighed by mechanization? What would happen if technology failed completely and the production of food stopped? Will child labor be implemented?

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    DBQ on Green Revolution

    • 1905 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Green Revolution originated after an urgent need to promote food security with a growing trend in global population, as a way to promote self-sustainability and independence. As it is clear in the report given by the Food and Agriculture Organization (DOC 2), in the period ranging from around 1929 (great depression) and 1945 (end of World War II) the global food supply index was below the world population. What this means is that there was literally not enough food being produced world wide to feed the world population. This struggle of human kind to stay afloat in supplying the minimum needs for survival meant that a change needed to occur. The answer, as Dr. Norman Borlaug stated in his Nobel Lecture (DOC 4) was not simply planting more in the developing nations, since the lands in those areas were “tired, worn out, depleted of plant nutrients…” Clearly, what…

    • 1905 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Chapter 11 Apes Outline

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages

    * Green Revolution- a shift in agricultural practices in the twentieth century that included new management techniques, mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties, and resulted in increased food output.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Green Revolution Dbq

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Green Revolution was the world’s introduction to modern agricultural and a time of vast improvements in the world’s fight against hunger. New technologies such as High Yield Variety seeds, chemical fertilizer, and agricultural machinery led this revolution and are still a big part of the way we produce food for the world today. The Green Revolution was a savior do many small developing countries throughout the world that barely made enough food to survive and one bad harvest could destroy an entire village. Food is now mass produced throughout the fields of the world and distributed on the world market to countries in need and to already developed countries whose people will pay for foreign and exotic food. The Green Revolution has one enemy; the reproductive rate of the human species is exceeding the rate at which we can make food to feed it.…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    DBQ: The Green Revolution

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Although the Green Revolution was started to end world hunger and the disparity in developing countries, it caused other consequences which included population growth and changes in genetic diversity of certain plants and cultural lifestyles. This revolution introduced the use of new technology and many scientifically altered crops to the world. With the rise in food supply, the population increased and some countries weren’t as starving as before. But with the advancement in technology and crop varieties, the environment and some societies suffered.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    India, which has found more efficient sources of food after their infamous Bengal Famine, has been one of the first countries to take an initiative in the green revolution. By using genetics to create HYVs, or High Yield Value seeds, they have been able to claim foreign acclaim and produce crops with increased viability.…

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Organic vs Non-Organic

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I. Introduction: Thesis Statement: People should consume organic foods because they have More nutritious, No pesticides are used on them, No hormones or antibiotics are used in their production…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The development of agriculture led to the innovations of Egyptian irrigation, Roman wheeled plows, the fodder crops of 17th century Holland, and 18th century fertilizers. This string of gifts has culminated in what has been called the Green Revolution. The catch was the dependence of these strains on chemical fertilizers, increased water irrigation, and farm machinery. Water scarcity was common in 26 countries, including Russia, the Middle East, and the Southwestern United States.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Although technology has resulted in many profound benefits to humanity, such as breakthroughs in health care and prolonging the human lifespan, it has not come without a price. Perhaps one of the most notable areas is agriculture. As Pringle (2003) discussed, the dawn of the Green Revolution in the 1960s was a pivotal point in the…

    • 4857 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to an article published in “Journal of Developmental Studies,” essentially, the Green Revolution is the need to rapidly increase crop production in order to feed hungry people (Sumberg, James, Dennis Keeney, and Benedict Dempsey).…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Future of Farming

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages

    One aspect of sustainable farming that could help to reduce the use of harmful fertilizers and pesticides is organic farming. According to Bengtsson, organic farming is a process that “operates without pesticides, herbicides, and inorganic fertilizers” and includes a more diverse crop rotation (263). This practice also increases biodiversity and species richness among crops, which will make…

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Agriculture is one of the most crucial necessities all around the world. The amount of food grown and sold affects the resources that are used in production. To sustain life you need food but most people are blinded to what actually happens in all the stages of growth. With technology advancing the way it is it has become hard to trust your food and its purity and cleanliness. People don’t get deep into where all their food comes from. It starts from the farms. Depending on what type of farm you visit, you will see different things. Most farms are using fertilizer or other additives in their agriculture but there are also farms that are completely natural and organic. Depending on your beliefs, you may think organic is better than industrial and vise versa. Each has its own pros and cons. The use of organic practices in food and livestock has a positive long term effect on the earth and its environment.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    With the increase in concern about the dangers of the foods we consume, the demand for organic food has increased at an alarming rate. Conventional farming has been around for more than 100 centuries, and it is one of the most prosperous industries in the world. Organic farming on the other hand dates back to the 20th century. Sir Albert Howard is considered by many to be the pioneer of the organic movement (Heckman). Although some concepts of organic farming date back before Sir Albert Howard’s work, in 1943 he published the book An Agricultural Testament (Heckman). In his book he described ideas that would become the fundamentals of organic farming. His main concept was known as “The Law of Return”, it suggested that all organic waste be recycled back to farmland (Heckman). The practices used in organic farming were intended to help the environment by conserving water and soil, and reducing pollution (Pitts).…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During World War 2, Agriculture and lands have destroyed because of chemical guns and other things. Sciences were found out methods to fix this problem by develop and improve the Agriculture and food production. The Green Revolution and Agriculture revolution are two types that researcher develops to save millions of lives and it changes the amount of labor.…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The many causes and consequences of the Green Revolution, from 1945 to today, ranged from defined social differences growing over time, a need for an increase in crop production, and a multitude of negative effects on the environment. Social differences became more defined as groups developed into prosperity because of the Green Revolution. The need for an increase of crop production was caused by a growing population in many areas, and a lack of economic success to match. An increase in technological growth created many new negative effects on the environment.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The agricultural impact of the Green Revolution was the positives included increased food production that led to many people to support genetically engineered foods, and brought new high yield varieties of wheat and corn from the United States to other parts of the world. Then like most things the Green Revolution had potential negatives too. Negative in which include that people question of gene manipulation could increase health risks produce environmental hazards, chemical fertilizers and pesticides which lead to reduced organic matter in the soil, groundwater pollution , has increased vulnerability to pests, and smaller farmers are in a poor competitive position and are being driven off their land.…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics