The socio-economic problems of the green revolution the south-Asian Experience

Abstract

"Green Revolution" is a term now almost unanimously employed to define the agricultural phenomenen of highly increased foodgrain yields which has occurred, since Iate 1961 's in some low income countries and especially in the Indian subcontinent. More specifically, however, the term can be defined as the application of hydrological, bio·chemical and mechanical innovations in agriculture. (Fate· mi, 1972 ; Gotsch, 1970 , Ishikawa 1971). The history of Green Revolution as a package of the above innovations is fairly recent. The main breakthrough was made as a biological innovation, in the Iate 1940's, when Dr.Norman Borlaug and his associates succeeded in producing a new dwarf wheat variety. This in the early 1960's was followed by genetically improved rice varieties. But these new seeds alone have not been sufficient for the Green Revolution. Hydrological innovations in the from of tubewells and pumpsets; chemical innovations as fertilizers and pesticides and a host of mechanical innovations have fonned the complementing components (Brown, 1970; Gotsch 1973). Genetically improved seed varieties obviously have the potentials for high yields, high incomes and for increased efficiency in agricultural productivity. These potentialities arise from the biological characteristics of the new seeds which in brief are: i) greater fertilizer responsiveness, ii) early maturity, iii) capacity to double yields and hence multiple cropping, iv) short, stiff stems, v) slender erect leaves,