GREEN REVOLUTION: CHARACTERISTICS, OBJECTIVES, ADVANTAGES - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The r green evolution was a concept that was first used in 1968 to describe a new paradigm in agricultural production. This was based on the sowing of improved varieties of various crops with the intention of improving and increasing the crops and the food obtained.

The creator of the green revolution was Norman Borlaug, an American agronomist. This had been investigating the result of the crosses between plants of different species with the intention of making them more resistant and productive. Originally, the goal was to end hunger in third world countries.

Transgenic soybeans in Argentina - Source: Maggilautaro under Wikimedia Commons public domain

The first Latin American country to reform its agricultural system to introduce these modified crops was Mexico, followed later by other countries in the area. One of the main examples is Argentina, where transgenic soy has become one of its main economic resources.

The results of the revolution are quite controversial. On the one hand, the harvests obtained are much higher, which has helped to alleviate some famines. On the other, it has meant that poor countries depend on the companies that create seeds, in addition to producing an impoverishment of the soil and biodiversity.

characteristics

The green revolution concept, first used by former USAID director William Gaud. The term was used to describe the increase in agricultural productivity in the United States between 1960 and 1980. Later, that higher productivity spread to other countries.

The initiator of this revolution was the American agronomist Norman Borlaug, who, with the collaboration of several international agricultural organizations, experimented with corn, rice and wheat plants. Thus, it began to carry out selective crosses with the purpose of making them more productive in developing countries.

The cause of this research was the low agricultural production that occurred in these countries, which was associated with famines and malnutrition.

Once the modified varieties had been obtained, each type of plant was planted in a certain field, using large amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides. The results were positive in terms of production, although it produced a serious deterioration in the cultivated fields.

Generally speaking, this type of agriculture is based on four main pillars: modern machinery, agrochemicals, biotechnology and irrigation systems.

Technology packages

After the success of the Green Revolution techniques in the United States, the next step was to spread them to other countries. For this, a series of agricultural practices, called “technological packages”, of an intensive type, began to be implemented.

These techniques were promoted by the governments of each country, with the support of the agricultural community and the producing companies.

Agricultural development plan worldwide

The beginning of the internationalization of these practices was in 1963. That year, the FAO organized a World Food Congress and one of the conclusions obtained was to launch an agricultural development plan throughout the world.

The motivation for the development of this plan was the need to produce more food given the increase in the world population. The project was supported by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations.

The program encouraged countries to make profound changes in their agriculture. The objective was for them to adopt the monoculture model dependent on chemical fertilizers in order to increase yield and profitability.

High yielding varieties

One of the characteristics of the green revolution is the use of high-yield variety seeds, developed in laboratories. The studies focused on is corn, rice and on wheat. They were carried out at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.

The plants obtained, beyond the aesthetic differences, were more resistant to the wind and presented a more accelerated growth, to the point that they offered three annual harvests.

On the negative side, its use required large amounts of pesticides and, as noted, fertilizers, in addition to requiring important irrigation systems.

Oil dependency

One of the most common criticisms of the green revolution is that it makes agricultural activity totally dependent on oil. This includes everything from the necessary machinery to the fuels or lubricants used.

Likewise, oil is also present in the different pesticides used, such as insecticides, herbicides or insecticides.

The energy inefficiency of these crops is also quite pronounced. This type of agriculture requires more energy than it generates.

goals

The green revolution was conceived as a way to help farmers in developing countries. With its use, production increases and therefore much more food is grown.

Eradication of hunger and malnutrition

As noted above, the main purpose of the green revolution was to reduce hunger in the world. According to experts, the minimum energy intake per person should be 2200 kcal / day.

FAO reports from the 1960s stated that 56% of the world's population did not reach these vital minimums. New farming systems have reduced that number, and by the 1990s the percentage had dropped to 10%. Still, malnutrition continues to affect 2 billion people.

Increase in harvest volume

Related to the previous point, another of the objectives of this revolution was to increase crops. The data indicate that its use has managed to increase the volume per hectare and, in addition, allows to obtain more crops per year.

The modified seeds are responsible for this increase, especially in the cultivation of cereals. Higher yields mean more income for poor farmers, and increasing the amount of food reduces hunger in developing countries.

Advantages and disadvantages

Although the overall numbers on increased harvests are positive, the green revolution has also had some negative effects.

A major debate is currently underway to eliminate these disadvantages and develop agriculture that is just as productive and environmentally friendly.

Advantage

Among the advantages of the agricultural system established with the green revolution is, without a doubt, the increase in the amount of harvest per hectare cultivated. This implies obtaining more food on the same land, which helps reduce malnutrition.

On the other hand, the seeds obtained are more resistant. The hybridization of corn, wheat and rice meant that the crops were stronger against pests and frost. This caused the harvests to increase by 50%.

Finally, in recent times seeds have been modified so that the products obtained have specific characteristics. Within this field, the creation of a type of rice that helps prevent childhood blindness caused by certain ailments stands out.

Disadvantages

Among the disadvantages is the environmental impact caused by the intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides. Likewise, it is a type of agriculture highly dependent on oil and its derivatives.

On the other hand, the crops of this revolution need a large amount of water, something very negative in areas where, traditionally, there is a shortage of this resource. To this must be added the damages caused by the spillage of chemicals in the water.

Critics of this system also denounce soil salinization and destruction, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity as disadvantages associated with the model.

Consequences

Although the positive consequences of the green revolution are undeniable, its effects are not without problems. The two most important are environmental damage and the amount of energy required.

ria for implantation. The most critical point out that this type of agriculture is, in reality, a system of converting energy, especially oil, into food.

Another problem that has caused this revolution is the loss of agricultural biodiversity. The improved varieties introduced have displaced the traditional and local ones, which have disappeared in some parts of the world.

The green revolution has meant that the environmental structure of large areas has been modified. Natural biodiversity has disappeared, replaced by a small number of cultivated plants. Furthermore, due to its very characteristics, it is a system that tends towards monoculture.

Towards a more sustainable model

The latest agricultural trends seek to combine the positive aspects of the green revolution with the elimination of its negative effects. In this way, it is investigating how to evolve towards a more sustainable model.

FAO itself, which promoted the Revolution in its beginnings as a way to end hunger, has presented a study in which 78 scientists address how to achieve a more sustainable agriculture from several different approaches.

In Mexico

Mexico was the first Latin American country to implement agricultural initiatives related to the green revolution. As early as 1943, he introduced modern production techniques, such as genetic selection of seeds, intensive irrigation by irrigation and the massive use of fertilizers and pesticides. This caused a significant increase in harvests.

The essence of this Revolution lies in the use of high-yield seed varieties in order to at least double the results obtained with traditional seeds.

Genetically modified seeds

Mexico was one of the locations chosen for research on seed improvement. The studies were conducted at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and resulted in some more resistant and productive varieties.

These seeds, called VAR, have been genetically modified to offer a higher yield on any type of terrain. However, to get the most out of them, they need special fertilizers, lots of water and pesticides. According to experts, in this type of agriculture, fertilizers are as necessary as the seeds themselves.

All of the above implies that the investment required for this model is very high. This has meant that, in Mexico, small landowners cannot compete with large landowners.

In addition, as has happened in the rest of the world, Mexican farmers are forced to buy new seeds every year, since the modified ones are subject to intellectual property. The dependence of the large multinational companies dedicated to genetic modifications is, therefore, total.

Finally, many of these VARs correspond to non-traditional foods in the region, so, in reality, the harvest is mainly destined for export.

Increase in crops

The most positive consequence of the green revolution in Mexico has been increased harvests. Wheat, for example, went from a yield of 750 kg per hectare in 1950 to a yield of 3,200 kg twenty years later.

In this regard, the results were spectacular and contributed to alleviating malnutrition in some areas of the country.

Displacement of staple foods

The introduction of industrial farming techniques has had some negative consequences for Mexico. Among these is that traditional crops, the basis of food, have been displaced. Thus, corn, rice, beans or wheat have been replaced by other more profitable products.

This, together with the dependence on inputs from agribusiness, related to the cost of oil, has caused poor peasants to be excluded, in addition to leading to an increase in food prices.

Technification of the field

The modernization of the field has been fundamental for the increase of the harvests. However, it has also had significant negative effects, especially for farmers.

On the one hand, great pollution has been generated due to agrochemicals and the need to transport food from distant regions. Likewise, the intensive use of the land and monocultures has caused a significant loss of biodiversity in seeds.

Regarding the social effects, the damages for the most humble peasants have been, according to the experts, brutal. In Mexico, it has been preferred to promote the agriculture of the green revolution, with many public subsidies, against small producers, causing the ruin of many of them.

Colombia

The green revolution in Colombia began to expand between the 60s and 80s of the last century. Different missions from the United States helped to incorporate the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and modified seeds in Colombian agriculture.

In the words of Mario Arango Marín, a researcher at the National University of Colombia, “The agricultural production models, the land tenure regime, the migratory flows from the countryside to the city and the effects on food security in the country are rooted in the ideas of development promoted by the North American missions. »

These actions developed by the missions were essential to promote the green revolution and implement it in Colombian territory.

The rice that started the green revolution

One of the products that started the green revolution was a variety of rice, IR8. Its first uses were in Asia in 1966, but, almost at the same time, 100 kilos of seeds were sent to the National Federation of Rice Growers of Colombia.

This organization was in charge of distributing the seeds among all the affiliates and, for the following year, the impact was clearly visible.

At that time, in addition, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture was founded in Colombia. This signed an agreement with the Colombian Agricultural Institute and with the aforementioned rice organization. Its objective was to facilitate that, by the end of the 1980s, all agricultural lands were cultivated with varieties developed from IR8.

Innovation

At the beginning of the new century, Colombia lagged behind other Latin American countries in agricultural development. To try to correct this situation, the government adopted a more favorable position towards the use of transgenics.

The regulation approved by the Ministry of Agriculture gave the green light to the use of these genetic modification technologies in agriculture.

In Argentina

The first important movement in Argentina related to the green revolution occurred in 1956, with the creation of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology). Later, during the military dictatorship, the first hybrid packages were applied. However, the turning point occurred in the 1980s, with the entry of soybeans.

Borlaug himself, inventor of the green revolution, went to Argentina on several occasions. There, he proclaimed the advantages for the country, and for the rest of Latin America, of the use of genetic modification and environmental management.

Productive jump

As elsewhere, the green revolution brought huge growth in the productivity of the land. Thus, the wheat, corn and soybean crops increased notably.

However, according to studies, this new production system caused the loss of 50% of the organic matter in the soil. To try to alleviate it, new methods of direct sowing were implemented, a system that allows conserving land resources.

In addition, this system was much more efficient in terms of water use, something very important in traditionally dry regions. Remember, that green revolution crops need large amounts of irrigation.

Transgenic soy

The introduction of soy in Argentina was a great change in its agricultural model. In 1997, its transgenic soy production was eleven million tons, with an occupation of six million hectares. Just ten years later, production reached 47 million tons, covering 16.6 million hectares.

This evolution took place in the 90s, promoted by the Carlos Menem government. This authorized the sowing of genetically modified seeds and the use of pesticides. As of today, the country is the third largest exporter of this product. Demand from Europe and China has led to a large increase in foreign exchange inflows.

Effects on livestock and agriculture

The cultivation of transgenic soy has also had its negative effects. At present, 55% of the Argentine agricultural area is occupied by this product, which, obviously, means that it had to displace others.

At first, soybeans began to be cultivated in the Pampean region, before it was dedicated to the production of wheat, sunflower and livestock. It was precisely this last activity that was the first to suffer the effects of this expansion.

Livestock had to be moved to less fertile areas and a fattening system by corral began to be used, which affected quality.

Related to this, small dairy farmers were unable to survive. Many had to group together, and within a few years, only large companies existed in the sector. This ended up causing the prices of meat and milk to rise.

In a second phase, soybean cultivation spread to other areas, such as Santiago del Estero, Salta, Chaco and Formosa. Those regions were dedicated to crops for the domestic market, which could not resist the advance of soybeans.

In Spain

The changes in the agrarian census clearly show the effect of the green revolution. Although socio-economic aspects should also be taken into account, the change in the agricultural system has greatly reduced the number of farms.

Thus, while in 1962 there were more than 3 million, in 2009 there were only 971,602. The most affected have been small farms, those that did not exceed 20 hectares.

As in the rest of the planet, this revolution was accompanied by an increasing use of chemical substances. The same happened with irrigation systems, which caused the loss of the most superficial and fertile layers of the soil. As experts point out, increased productivity had serious effects on the environment.

Monocultures

The variety in crops has suffered a great decline since the beginning of the green revolution. Industrial agriculture is associated with the creation of monocultures and Spain has been no exception.

One of the most characteristic cases in Spain has been the expansion of greenhouses in part of the peninsula. These, very efficient, have changed the landscape of large areas, such as the coast of Almería, in the south. However, the environmental consequences are very negative.

Biodiversity loss

The agri-food model coupled with the green revolution has had a reducing effect on biodiversity. Being based on a small number of varieties adapted to intensive agriculture, farmers have abandoned other more traditional crops.

References

1. FAO. Lessons from the Green Revolution: Towards a New Green Revolution. Retrieved from fao.org
2. Tiezzi, Enzo. The green revolution: tragedy in two acts. Obtained from revistaciencias.unam.mx
3. Solican. Green revolution. Obtained from ong-solican.es
4. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Green revolution. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Briney, Amanda. All You Wanted to Know About the Green Revolution. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
6. Pingali, Prabhu L. Green Revolution: Impacts, limits, and the path ahead. Recovered from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
7. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Green Revolution. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
8. Hazell, Peter. Think Again: The Green Revolution. Retrieved from foreignpolicy.com