1

SCHOOL OF LAW, INDORE CAMPUS B.A. LLB (HONS.)

THIRD SEMESTER

PROJECT TOPIC: GREEN REVOLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON

ENVIRONMENT

SUBMITTED BY: ELSA SHAIKH

SUBJECT: SOCIOLOGY III
SAP ID: 81012100612
SUBMITTED TO: DR. MAHASWETA SENGUPTA MAAM
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO. TITLE PG.NO.

1 ABSTRACT 3

2 INTRODUCTION 3

3 IMPACTS 5

4 FAILURES 9

4 CASE LAW 10

5 CONCLUSION 10
 3

GREEN REVOLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT
From 1947 to 1960, India's population grew faster than its ability to produce food, leading to
widespread malnutrition and widespread fear of famine. A meagre 417 grammes of food per
person per day was available. Due to financial difficulties, many farmers lost their land and had
to become wage workers. The food supply was also negatively affected by the prevailing
political environment. Both food crops and cash crops were in extremely short supply. It was
also about this period that agronomist Norman Borlaug made crucial contributions to the green
revolution, which had global repercussions. His new crop seeds were robust, disease-resistant,
quick to mature, and responsive to fertilisers; they were also made available for agricultural use.1
Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, a geneticist, was instrumental in starting the green revolution in India2.
Having begun in the 1960s, it contributed to a rise in domestic food production. The fundamental
goal of the green revolution was to reduce poverty and malnutrition by introducing high-yielding
cereal varieties (HYVs)3. In the short term, the green revolution did help reduce hunger and
malnutrition4.

INTRODUCTION
Increased area farmed, double-cropping (planting two crops per year instead of just one),
adoption of high-yield varieties (HYV) of seeds, increased use of inorganic fertilisers and
pesticides, enhanced irrigation systems, and refined farm implements and crop protection
techniques all contributed to increased crop yields as a result of the green revolution5. Research
on crops, infrastructure, market expansion, and supportive policies all received substantial
funding6. The genetic component of conventional crops has been the focus of improvement
efforts. Better yields, environmental adaptability, shorter growing times, higher quality grains,
pest and insect resistance, and tolerance to drought and flooding were all factors in the selection

1
Farmer, B. H. (1986). "Perspectives on the 'Green Revolution'in South Asia". Modern Asian Studies. 20 (1): 175–
99. doi:10.1017/s0026749x00013627. S2CID 145626108
2
Hazell, Peter B.R. (2009). The Asian Green Revolution. IFPRI Discussion Paper. Intl Food Policy Res Inst.
GGKEY:HS2UT4LADZD.
3
Wright, Angus, "Downslope and North: How Soil Degradation and Synthetic Pesticides Drove the Trajectory of
Mexican Agriculture through the Twentieth Century" in Christopher R. Boyer, A Land Between Waters:
Environmental Histories of Modern Mexico. Tucson: University of Arizona Press 2012
4
 Farmer, B. H. (1986). "Perspectives on the 'Green Revolution'in South Asia". Modern Asian Studies. 20 (1): 175–
99. doi:10.1017/s0026749x00013627. S2CID 145626108
5
Gollin, Douglas; Hansen, Casper Worm; Wingender, Asger Mose (2021). "Two Blades of Grass: The Impact of the
Green Revolution". Journal of Political Economy. 129 (8): 2344–2384. doi:10.1086/714444. ISSN 0022-
3808. S2CID 236929281
6
Pingali, Prabhu L. (31 July 2012). "Green Revolution: Impacts, limits, and the path ahead". Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. 109 (31): 12302–
12308. Bibcode:2012PNAS..10912302P. doi:10.1073/pnas.0912953109. PMC 3411969. PMID 22826253
 4

process7. With only a 30% increase in farmland, cereal yields tripled after the green revolution.
With a few notable exceptions, this held true everywhere. Poverty was reduced and food prices
were lowered significantly as a result. Calorie availability was also shown to have dropped by
about 11-13% if the green revolution hadn't happened. All shoppers benefited from these
initiatives, but the poor especially. The investment in research to enhance crop yields paid off in
new and enhanced ways. Also, it stopped the use of thousands of acres of land for farming.
When it comes to grain, the green revolution was essential in India becoming self-sufficient.
Previously, India used a method known as "ship-to-mouth," in which food was delivered directly
from outside to Indian consumers .8 The overall food security in India will surely improve as a
result. Similarly, there is practical and extensive evidence to back up the green revolution's good
effects. However, after a while, a few unforeseen but negative repercussions of the green
revolution were apparent. The detrimental effects of the green revolution on India's agricultural
infrastructure are analysed here. The favourable effects of the green revolution, such as higher
yield and decreased mortality and malnutrition, have been documented by studies conducted by
traditional agriculture, social sector development, and other related agencies . However, research
undertaken by environmental and public health agencies suggest that a reduction in pesticide
consumption is adequate to counteract the detrimental effects . Pesticides, insecticides, and other
chemically related substances are the subject of a great deal of research to determine their full
extent of harm.9

This study aims to inform policy by arguing that many initiatives, useful in the near term such as
the green revolution, can be destructive and irreversible if they are implemented without taking
ecological principles into account (Clasen et al., 2019). Attempts to repair environmental harm
would entail a lot more work, time, and resources than destroying the environment originally
would have. Therefore, the sustainability and friendliness to the environment must be evaluated
for any new action.

There is no use in maintaining the current level of pesticide use in an environment that is
degrading at an alarming rate when there are viable alternatives that can spur economic
development, boost crop yields, and reduce environmental damage. It will become necessary at
some point to end the escalating cycle of problem-solving-negative-results. Some nations, for
instance, are working toward what they call "a second green revolution". A better alternative

7
Bharadwaj, Prashant; Fenske, James; Kala, Namrata; Mirza, Rinchan Ali (2020). "The Green revolution and infant
mortality in India". Journal of Health Economics. 71: 102314. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102314. ISSN 0167-
6296. PMID 32259718. S2CID 150162441
8
Alexander, T.M., 1985. Soils of India and Their Management. The Fertiliser Association of India, New
Delhi.
9
"Rice of the Gods". Time. 14 June 1968. Archived from the original on 4 September 2007
 5

would be to think about ways to foster sustainable agriculture. Therefore, a wake-up call is
necessary to prevent a repeat of past mistakes.

IMPACTS
ON AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

PESTS AND PESTICIDES: India is now one of the top producers of pesticides in Asia due to
the country's increased need for the chemical. Despite the positive effects on the economy, it has
been discovered that a lot of pesticides are wasted in both developed and developing nations. For
instance, it has been observed that pesticides in freshwater at quantities over the allowable limits
pose a significant financial risk. India has high levels of pesticide residue despite having much
lower levels of pesticide use on average than many other countries. This leads to extensive soil
erosion and water contamination. An imbalance in pests can also lead to an attack, which is
another serious problem. The growing use of pesticides has upset the natural balance between
pests and the predators and prey that keep them in check, leading to an overabundance of a
particular pest species that threatens certain crops.10 As a result, the harvest of those crops
becomes unbalanced. New or more potent insecticides are needed to combat the pests that are
damaging these crops. Because of this, the food chain has been thrown off .

WATER CONSUMPTION: The agriculture sector in India currently uses 91% of the country's
available freshwater . Irrigated farming has led to water scarcity in many regions of India (Davis
et al., 2018). The green revolution brought forth a surge in water-hungry crops. Cereals make up
the vast majority of these crops and are responsible for about half of India's total "dietary water
footprint" . Since these crops have a shorter growing season, they use a disproportionate amount
of water in their production. Water flooding is currently necessary for rice production1
(International Rice Research Institute).11 The water-hungry sugarcane and rice were supplied by
canal networks and irrigation pumps that drew water from the ground. Because of its importance
as a wheat and rice-growing region, Punjab is one of India's most water-scarce areas. In a few
years, Punjab is expected to experience a severe water shortage. Subterranean water
contamination has increased due to dwindling water supplies and soil toxicity. The green
revolution was initiated solely to improve food production to a level where there would be
enough to feed everyone. Negative effects on the environment were ignored . Previous budget
allocations placed 9,828 crore INR toward irrigation, but agriculture received only 3,080 crore
INR before cuts. In the last three years, this trend has not changed (NABARD, 2020). As a
10
Dorjee K., Broca S., and Pingali P. 2003. Diversification in South Asian Agriculture: Trends and Constraints.
ESA Working Paper No. 03–15. Agriculture and Development Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO): Rome, Italy.

11
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-production/growth/watermanagement
 6

percentage of GDP, agriculture contributes 16.5%, or 380,239 crore INR (Economics, 2020;
India, 2020). This suggests that, relative to other agricultural inputs, more money has been spent
on water for irrigation in recent years.

AIR POLLUTION: Burning agricultural trash contributes significantly to the current air
pollution crisis. When growing crops for the next cycle, farmers in Punjab, the green revolution's
spiritual home, are resorting to burning their land. Due to the short duration of the crop cycle for
hybrid crops established during the green revolution, the next crop cycle will arrive quite
quickly.12 As a result, this is a contributing factor to the severe pollution problem in some areas
of Punjab caused by the incineration of agricultural waste. A wide variety of greenhouse gases,
including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, and others, can be produced as a result of
this type of farming.

IMPACTS ON SOIL AND CROP PRODUCTION : Over and over, farmers would plant and
harvest their crops in an effort to maximise yields and decrease failure rates; this practise eventually
led to the depletion of the soil's nitrogen reserves. Similar to how intensive farming practises
depleted soil organic matter due to the lack of a feedback loop involving crop wastes and organic
matter, these methods did not recycle either . Farmers utilised more and more fertilisers when soil
quality decreased to keep up with the demands of new varieties of seeds. Heavy metals such as
cadmium, lead, and arsenic were deposited in the soil as a result of the use of pesticides and
fertilisers.13 Herbicides and weed killers aren't any better for Mother Nature. These alkaline
compounds were widely used during and after the green revolution, raising the soil pH.. Many soil
qualities are negatively impacted by monoculture (only wheat-rice farming), including the
downward movement of silt and the depletion of organic matter. Beneficial pathogens, crucial to
soil fertility, were wiped out by toxic chemicals. The fall in soil fertility causes a reduction in
harvest. The use of tractors and other forms of mechanisation has also degraded the soil's
physicochemical qualities, which has had a negative impact on the soil's biological activity. As a
result of any type of stress, soil heals in conventional farming practises . However, this is not the
case with our current techniques. Future production and food security are threatened by the presence
of waterlogging, salt, soil erosion, groundwater table drop, and groundwater table rise all linked to
brackish water and alkalinity, according to a study done in Haryana.14

12
Kumar, R., Pasricha, N.S., 1999. Land use and land cover changes in the Indus plains of Punjab in the post Green
Revolution period 1965–1995. In: Proceedings of the International Seminar on Historical Perspectives of Land-
use/Land-cover Change in South Asia for the Study of Global Change, April 11–13, 1999. NPL, New Delh

13
Al Jazeera English (13 March 2013), People & Power – Argentina: The Bad Seeds, archived from the original on
31 October 2021
14
Currier, Andy (23 January 2020). "The Failure of Input Subsidies and a New Path Forward to Fight Hunger in
Malawi". The Oakland Institute
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EXTINCTION OF INDIGENOUS VARIETIES OF CROPS: India has lost about a hundred

thousand types of indigenous rice due to the green revolution.15

Native rice, millet, lentil, and other grain varieties have seen a decline in cultivation since the green
revolution. As a result, more quickly growing hybrid crops were harvested . Figure 1 depicts this.
Wheat, soybean, and rice production has all seen significant increases. Sorghum, other millets,
barley, and peanut production has also sharply declined. The availability of HYVs of seeds and an
expansion in growing space both contributed to the uptick in production of several crops. Farmers'
tastes shifted in the kind of crops they preferred to grow. There was no increase in the cultivation of
local pulses like moong, gramme, tur, etc.,16 or other oilseed crops like mustard, sesame, etc.
Millets, a commonly grown and consumed crop, has a low water demand and thrives in arid and
semiarid climates. But because farmers couldn't get their hands on high-yielding millets seeds, they
switched to growing just rice and wheat instead .

LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY: Both domesticated plant life and wildlife populations suffered as a
result of the Green Revolution's widespread farming practises. There is consensus that
agricultural biodiversity was diminished as a result of the Green Revolution's emphasis on a few
number of high-yield crop varieties. For instance, it's been suggested that there were more than
3,000 different types of rice in existence before the revolution. It is believed that currently only
about ten genetically modified rice varieties are in use.17

This has raised concerns about the vulnerability of the food supply to infections that can't be
managed by agrochemicals,18 and it has also resulted in the irretrievable loss of many valuable
genetic features bred into traditional kinds over thousands of years. These issues are why large
seed banks like the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute of the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (now Bioversity International) were set up.19

The Green Revolution's impact on wildlife diversity is a contentious topic. It has been
hypothesised that expanding agricultural land use into previously uninhabited regions is not
necessary if production per acre can be increased. However, in order to maintain output levels,
farmers have had to clear wooded areas due to land deterioration and soil nutrient depletion.
Some argue that biodiversity was lost as a result of the Green Revolution, which expanded
agricultural development into previously unprofitable20 or too arid areas, and as a result of the
15
Sehgal J. and Abrol I.P. 1994. Soil Degradation in India: Status and Impact. Oxford University Press: New Delhi,
India
16
Oldeman L.R., Hakkeling R.T.A., and Sombroek W.G.1991. World Map of the Status Humaninduced Soil
Degradation: An Explanatory Note. The International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) and United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP): Wageningen, The Netherlands and Nairobi, Kenya
17
 "Biodiversity: Indispensable resources". D+C Development and Cooperation. 
18
Debating Development – A historical analysis of the Sasakawa Global 2000 project in Ghana and indigenous
knowledge as an alternative approach to agricultural development (Master thesis). Universiteit Utrecht.
19
https://www.unescap.org/op-ed/asia-pacific-response-covid-19-and-climateemergency-must-build-resilient-and-
sustainable
20
Makoto Matsuoka, Sakamoto, Tomoaki (2004). "Generating high-yielding varieties by genetic manipulation of
plant architecture". Current Opinion in Biotechnology.
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displacement of traditional systems of agriculture21 that sometimes included practises to preserve

wild biodiversity. In the geoeconomic macroregions of Centro-Sul and Amazônia in Brazil, for
instance, the introduction of agriculture in sensitive ecosystems like the Cerrado semi-humid
tropical savanna andAmazon rainforest was made possible by the development of wheat varieties
tolerant to acid soil conditions with a high aluminium content. Other Brazilian ecosystems were
also significantly damaged by human activity prior to the Green Revolution, including the once
1st or 2nd main contributor to Brazilian megadiversity, the Atlantic Rainforest (above 85% of
deforestation in the 1980s, about 95% after the 2010s),22 and the important xeric shrublands
called Caatinga primarily in the Northeastern Brazil (about 40% of deforestation in the 1980s,
about 50% after the 2010s) However, the international community has realised the drawbacks of
agricultural growth, as seen by the plethora of national Biodiversity Action Plans that attribute
major biodiversity loss to agriculture's expansion into new areas. The 1992 Rio Treaty was
signed by 189 countries.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: According to a study published in 2013 in PNAS, in the

absence of the crop germplasm improvement associated with the Green revolution, greenhouse
gas emissions would have been 5.2-7.4 Gt higher than observed in 1965–2004.23

Dependence on non-renewable resources: Many forms of high-intensity agricultural production

rely heavily on finite supplies of natural capital. Fossil fuels are necessary for the operation of
farming machinery and transportation, as well as the manufacturing of pesticides and nitrates.

And as phosphorus mines around the world quickly run out of supply, this crucial mineral
ingredient can be a limiting factor in crop production. If we don't switch away from these
unsustainable practises soon, the current system of intense food production could collapse on a
global scale by the end of the century.24

Land degradation: The destruction of land is another important unintended consequence of the
green revolution. Oldeman et al(1991) .'s mapping effort for the Global Land Assessment of
Degradation (GLASOD) indicated that 43 percent of South Asia's arable land had been degraded.
Using updated national data, Young (1993) reevaluated these estimates and concluded that the
problem was significantly worse than previously thought: he claimed that 75% of farmland was
deteriorated to some degree, with 40% being seriously or severely affected. Irrigation-related
degradation is responsible for 23 percent of all degraded land and 25 percent of moderately25 or
severely degraded land. Sehgal and Abrol (1994) calculated that 54 percent of India's land area
was either moderately or severely degraded.
21
"Rising food prices curb aid to global poor". Csmonitor.com. 24 July 2007.
22
"World population with and without synthetic nitrogen fertilizers". Our World in Data.
23
Stevenson, J. R.; Villoria, N.; Byerlee, D.; Kelley, T.; Maredia, M. (13 May 2013). "Green Revolution research
saved an estimated 18 to 27 million hectares from being brought into agricultural production". Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. 110 (21): 8363–
68. Bibcode:2013PNAS..110.8363S. doi:10.1073/pnas.1208065110. PMC 3666715. PMID 23671086
24
Evenson, Robert (January 2010). "Total Factor Productivity Growth in Agriculture: The Role of Technological
Capital". Handbook of Agricultural Economics
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FAILURES OF GREEN REVOLUTION

o Many farmers were unable to purchase machinery due to the hefty initial investment as
well as the ongoing costs of fuel and maintenance.
o Many of the world's poorest farmers are tenant farmers who can't afford to invest in
things like fresh seed stock or fertiliser.
o Since HYVs need a consistent supply of water, new irrigation schemes had to be
implemented (High Yielding Varieties of rice). Salinization became an issue in some
circumstances where incorrect schemes were utilised, which was both costly and
undesirable. Good farmland was flooded as a result of dam construction in several
regions.26
o Water contamination was a major issue because of the excessive amounts of fertilisers
and pesticides used by the HYVs.
o Since fewer people were needed to operate the tractors and other machines,
unemployment rose in places where mechanisation increased.
o Many farmers who had attempted to adopt the new technologies went significantly in
debt, leading to increased stress and, in some cases, suicide.
o The resulting increase in rural unemployment led to an increase in rural-urban migration,
with more people moving to the cities, generating urban difficulties.27

Inequalities between states and regions became exacerbated during the Green Revolution. Only
in places with reliable water sources and the capacity to regulate them, as well as areas with
access to huge amounts of fertiliser and sufficient farm financing, was the plan put into action.
Highest yield increases were seen in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh,
where these inputs were very easy to get by. However, in other states like Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu, where these inputs were not guaranteed, the outcomes were limited or
inconsequential, resulting in significant fluctuation in agricultural yields within these states.
Income inequality widened as a result of the Green Revolution, with states seeing the greatest
increases in yields experiencing the greatest increases in income growth and the lowest increases
in poverty, while other states saw much smaller increases in income growth and no change in the
incidence of poverty.

CASE LAWS

25
Spitz, Pierre (1987). "The Green Revolution Re-Examined in India in Glass". In Glaeser, Bernhard (ed.). The
Green Revolution revisited: critique and alternatives. Allen & Unwin. pp. 57–75. ISBN 978-0-04-630014-2.

26
Dromard, C. R., Bouchon-Navaro, Y., Cordonnier, S., Guén,é, M., Harmelin-Vivien, M., and Bouchon, C. (2018).
Different transfer pathways of an organochlorine pesticide across marine tropical food webs assessed with stable
isotope analysis.
27
Gerage, J. M., Meira, A. P. G., and da Silva, M. V. (2017). Food and nutrition security: pesticide residues in
food. Nutrire 42:3. doi: 10.1186/s41110-016-0028-4
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PUNJAB CASE28

The state of Punjab was an early leader in the green revolution that helped turn India into a food
surplus. The state is seeing the negative effects of chemical and pesticide use in intensive
farming. Evidence from a large-scale investigation by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical
Education and Research (PGIMER) links the widespread application of these chemicals to an
abnormally high rate of cancer in this area. Several communities, including Jhariwala,
Koharwala, Puckka, Bhimawali, and Khara, have seen an uptick in the number of cancer cases.

Vandana Shiva, an environmental activist, has written extensively on the topic of the Green
Revolution's effects on the region of Punjab, including the region's social, political, and
economic climates. She contends that water shortages, pest vulnerability, violent conflict, and
social marginalisation have all stemmed from the Green Revolution's reliance on excessive usage
of chemical inputs and monocultures.

Dr. Reyes Tirado of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom conducted a study in 50
villages in the Muktsar, Bathinda, and Ludhiana districts in 2009 as part of an investigation by
Greenpeace Research Laboratories that found widespread chemical, radiation, and biological
toxicity in Punjab. The study linked the heavy usage of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers to the high
nitrate levels found in 20% of the studied wells (over the WHO safety limit of 50 mg/l).

CONCLUSION
The green revolution has greatly improved society, raising crop yields by orders of magnitude
and saving the lives of countless individuals. There are many who distrust the industry's claims
of higher productivity and are concerned that farmers will grow reliant on big biotech. However,
since Monsanto was given permission to sell its genetically modified Bollgard cotton seeds in
India in 2002, farmers there have demonstrated a clear interest in experimenting with modified
crops. Not only have farmers started using more GMO crops, but they're also using more
pesticides and fertilisers.29 Chemical fertilisers reduce the soil's natural fertility, and insecticides
breed resistant insects. To attain the same yields, farmers must use increasingly large amounts of
fertilisers and pesticides. Because of environmental degradation, the green revolution is just a
temporary solution to food security issues. Thus, we require a second green revolution that is not
only more sustainable, but also more open and welcoming. After all is said and done, the green
revolution's consequences are still being felt today. Even though the green revolution helped
guarantee food supply, it has had negative effects on farming and public health that were never
28
Sharma, B.D., Mukhopadhyay, S.S., 1999. Land cover and land use: Punjab perspectives. In: Proceedings of the
International Seminar on Historical Perspectives of Land-use Land-cover Change in South Asia for the Study of
Global Change, April 11–13, 1999. NPL, New Delhi. 7. Young A. 1993. Land Degradation in South Asia: Its
Severity, Causes, and Effects Upon People. Final report prepared for submission to the Economic and Social
Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Rome, Italy
29
Perkins, John H. "The Rockefeller Foundation and the green revolution, 1941–1956." Agriculture and Human
Values 7.3 (1990): 6–18
 11

planned. This necessitates the testing and piloting of new therapies before to full scale
deployment, as well as the ongoing evaluation of their risks and benefits. Consequences of the
green revolution have weakened a food system that was already precarious. Negative effects are
not discussed because they may undermine claims of progress and prosperity. Innovations that
have been introduced out of necessity may not be viable in the long run. If we want to ensure the
long-term viability of our food supply, we must switch to organic farming methods. Similar to
conventional farming, there are alternative farming methods that can be used, such as
intercropping and Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF),30 whose guiding principles emphasise
the use of organic methods and the reduction or elimination of artificial inputs. Positive results
from ZBNF impact assessments in the states of Karnataka and AP have inspired the state
government of Andhra Pradesh (AP), a region in southern India, to convert 6 million farmers and
8 million hectares of land under the state initiative of Climate Resilient Zero Budget Natural
Farming. It has been noted that agricultural yields in AP have grown by 9% for paddy and 40%
for ragi. Ragi saw a 25% rise in net income, while groundnuts saw a 135% rise . Food instability,
malnutrition, and related problems require a systemic response. The green revolution was
implemented in the same vein as the aforementioned example in order to address the issue of low
yield. Now, a second round of green revolution is in the works. For a sustainable future, it is
important to conduct environmental risk assessments and other evaluation studies before
implementing such interventions.31

30
Jain, H.K. (2010). The Green Revolution: History, Impact and Future (1st ed.). Houston, TX: Studium
Press. ISBN 978-1-933699-63-9.

31
Moseley, W. G. (14 May 2008). "In search of a better revolution". Minneapolis StarTribune. 
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