The Green Revolution

1

• Recap of Agricultural Revolutions

FIRST AGRICULTURE SECOND
AGRICULTURE THIRD
AGRICUTURE REVOLUTION REVOLUTION
REVOLUTION During the first agriculture
revolution hunting and gathering was primarily
taking place. The second agriculture revolution
introduced machines as a result of the Industrial
Revolution. This allowed farmers to work faster
and use less workers. The third agriculture
revolution or Green Revolution launched faster
technology that allowed bigger crops to be
produced. This came from Biotechnology.
2

• First Agriculture Revolution

• The Neolithic Revolution or First Agriculture
  Revolution occurred around 10,000- 12,000 years
  ago.
• During this Revolution, nomadic hunting and
  gathering took place.
• This form of agriculture originated in the
  Fertile Crescent.

3

The First Agricultural Revolution Continued

• Plant domestication was often organized during
  this time.
• Asia was said to be the first place where plant
  domestication took place.
• In Southwest Asian climate, grain crops such as
  wheat and barley were often grown.

4

• ANIMAL DOMESTICATION

• Along with plant domestication, animal
  domestication was also in the process.
• In the Zagros Mountains, goats were domesticated.
  In Anatolia (Turkey) sheep's were domesticated.
• The animals provided meat, milk, and the skin was
  used as shelter.

5

• FORMS OF AGRICULTURE

• During the first agriculture revolution, people
  expanded land by using the slash and burn method.
  
• Slash and burn is the clearing and burning of
  forest in order to create land for planting
  crops.
• This method of agriculture was one of the first
  ways of shifting cultivation.
• Shifting cultivation is a system in which plots
  of land are cultivated temporarily, then
  abandoned .

6
Second agriculture revolution
7

• IMPACT OF THE
• INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

• The Industrial Revolution had a major impact on
  the Second Agriculture Revolution. Machines were
  created that allowed farmers to produce crops
  faster.
• It also introduced technology to the world.

8

• During the Second Agriculture Revolution,
  farming methods increased greatly, crop yields
  were improved, storage size expanded, and
  distribution systems enhanced drastically.
  Farmers no longer had to depend on workers to
  harvest crops. Instead of people picking crops
  by hand, people used tractor trailers and plows
  to help do the work.

9

• Irrigation is supplying dry land with water by
  means of man made holes. The first people who
  irrigated needed to know how to plant crops,
  water crops, and use weeds. There are many types
  of irrigation such as sprinkler irrigation,
  surface irrigation, and localized irrigation. One
  of the biggest problem with irrigation is the
  competition of water.

• I R R I G A T I O N

10
Von Thunen Model of Agriculture

• Von Thunen was one of the first economic
  geographers who created a agricultural land use.
• The center of the model is the central city or
  isolated city.
• The second ring is the intensive farming and
  dairying because dairy products such be the first
  things to get to the market faster.
• The forest is used for fire wood and building
  materials and the increasing extensive field
  crops are used for grains which might take longer
  than other produce.
• Last, ranching and animal products is where the
  animals are raised.

11
continued

• The logic of von Thunens model is only partially
  reflected in what we actually observe
• We must consider the effects of different climate
  and soil conditions, variations in farming
  methods, and technology available to certain
  cultures.

12
Start of the Green Revolution

• The 3rd agricultural revolution or Green
  Revolution was a significant increase in
  agricultural productivity resulting from the
  introduction of high-yield varieties of grains,
  the use of pesticides, and improved management
  techniques.
• It started in the early 20th century. Its early
  dramatic successes were in Mexico and the Indian
  subcontinent.

13
Green Revolution

• 1970s spread to millions of third world farmers
• 1990s 40 of all farms in third world
• 75 Rice in Asia
• 80 Wheat in third world
• 70 Corn worldwide
• Improved standard of living for millions people
  worldwide

14
Technology and Agricultural Production

• Techonology

• Technologies were used widely during the Green
  Revolution, which included pesticides,
  irrigation projects, and synthetic nitrogen
  fertilizer
• Scientist have created HYVs (High Yielding
  Varieties) which significantly outperform
  traditional varieties in the presence of adequate
  irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers.
• On the downside, HYVs are nonrenewable (cannot be
  saved for next season) which means that farmers
  have to purchase it each year, thus increasing a
  farmers cost of production.

15
..continued

• Production Increase

• The rates at which production increased in the
  early years of the HYVs could not continue
  indefinitely, which caused some to question the
  "sustainability" of the new style.
• Yields of rice, maize, and wheat increased
  steadily during the doubling period of the cereal
  production between 1961-1985.
• The production increases can be attributed
  roughly equally to irrigation, fertilizer, and
  seed development, at least in the case of Asian
  rice.

16
Social Impacts

• The Green Revolution led to a sizable increases
  in returns to land, and hence raised farmers
  incomes
• Contributed to better nutrition by raising
  incomes and reducing prices, which permitted
  people to consume more calories and more
  diversified diet
• The absolute number of poor people fell from 1.15
  billion in 1975 to 825 million in 1995 despite a
  60 increase in population which shows how much
  of an impact the Green revolution have given to
  Global Production.
• Research studies show that much of the steady
  decline in poverty is attributable to
  agricultural growth.

17
Socioeconomic Impact

• The increased level of mechanization on larger
  farms made possible by the Green Revolution
  removed an important source of employment from
  the rural economy, thus reducing labor cost.
• Because wealthier farmers had better access to
  credit and land, the Green Revolution increased
  class disparities.
• The Green Revolution was a product of
  globalization as evidenced in the creation of
  international agricultural research centers that
  share information

18
Ecological change
19
Pesticides and Water Issue

• Green Revolution agriculture increased the use of
  pesticides, which were necessary to limit the
  high levels of pest damage
• Pesticides, although help farmers, also can harm
  them in many ways
• Problems with pesticides include the poisoning of
  farm workers, the contamination of water, and the
  evolution of resistance in pest organism
  populations
• Irrigation projects have created significant
  problems of salinization, waterlogging, and
  lowering of water tables in certain areas

20
Biodiversity

• The spread of Green Revolution agriculture
  affected both agricultural biodiversity and wild
  biodiversity
• There is little argument that the Green
  Revolution acted to reduce agricultural
  biodiversity, as it relied upon just a few
  varieties of each crop.
• Critics argue that new plant varieties displaced
  landraces in the fields and thus led to a loss of
  biodiversity.

21
Biotechnology

• Biotechnology means any technological application
  that uses biological systems, living organisms,
  or derivatives thereof, to make or modify
  products or processes for specific use
• With biotechnology, the technology is more
  precise and farming becomes less time consuming
• It is believed that biotechnology may hold the
  key to feeding the worlds billions without
  unduly harming the environment.

22
continued

• Plants that are genetically modified to reduce
  susceptibility to disease can reduce modified
  food.
• Biotechnology allows the world to have less
  impact on soil erosion, biodiversity, wildlife,
  forests, and grasslands.
• Biotechnology can play a role in addressing the
  problem of hunger, but it cannot solve the
  problem.

23

• Benefits of the Green Revolution

• The Green Revolution has afford many benefits
  throughout years. First, the revolution provided
  more jobs for people.
• The Green Revolution provided a major social
  and economic impact on the world.
• The revolution has increased yields greatly.

24

• J O B O P P O R T U N I T Y

• The Green Revolution has provided many jobs for
  people in the world. One job is working with
  hydroelectric power systems.
• Another important job is working in the
  industrial system which includes warehouses that
  provide the crops needed to double their
  consumption.

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• PHENOMENAL IMPACT ON THE WORLD

• During the Bengal Famine, India became one of
  the worlds worst recorded food disasters. About
  four years later, green revolution slowly became
  to impact India by allowing the country to
  achieve food sufficiency. Eventually, India
  became one of the worlds largest food
  productions.

26
The Next Green Revolution?

• Biotechnology helps farmers produce higher yields
  on less land.
• Technology allows us to have less impact on soil
  erosion, biodiversity, wildlife, forests, and
  grasslands
• To achieve comparable yields (1950-1999) with old
  farming methods, would have needed an additional
  1.8 Billion hectares of land

27

• Criticisms of the Green Revolution

28

• Green Revolution not sustainable
• destroys resource base on which agriculture
  depends, creates a cycle of dependency.
• Poor farmers could not buy seeds, fertilizer,
  irrigation to make Green Revolution work
• Wealthy corporations invested, got richer, drove
  out poor independent farmers to a
  neo-colonialism.

29
Problems

• Not ecologically sustainable depletes soil,
  pesticide race
• Rural people are displaced from land
• Though the Green Revolution is creating jobs, the
  mechanization are also reducing agricultural jobs

30
Soil Depletion

• Dramatic increases in yields during 1970s, 1980s
• Soil now depleted, resulting in leveling off or
  dropping yields
• India was one of the countries that were most
  positively affected by the Green revolution
• Now, 6 of Agricultural land in India is useless

31
Destruction of Agricultural Resources

• Desertification- taking away of land and using it
  repeatedly
• Though technology have a less impact on soil
  erosion, it will still occur.
• Soil erosion- High-yielding varieties rapidly
  deplete micronutrients from soils
• Water shortages- Where crops are dependent on
  groundwater for irrigation, the water table is
  declining at an estimated rate of one-third to
  half a metre per year.

32
Unsustainable Agriculture

• War between humans and weeds, insects and
  disease.
• Marketing weapons
• pesticides and chemical fertilizers
• Our food source becomes a separate entity,
  unknown of its harms on the population.

33
Global Food Supply
34
Resources

• Human Geography book
• whyfiles.org/238earthday/index.php?g4.txt
• http//people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6
  en/img/vonthunen.gif
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_revolution
• www.public.iastate.edu/cfford/IncreasingYieldsThe
  20Green20Revolution.ppt-

• http//www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/Women/green-e.htm
• http//edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/bio/green.htm
• www.grain.org/seedling/?type00002006l1
• www.rgp.ufl.edu/is/biotechnology/
• ETC