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Uncategories Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications | Agriculture | Geography of India

Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications | Agriculture | Geography of India

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Green revolution:

During the 1960s-70s in India, by using high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, and improved irrigation facilities, the yield of various crops, mainly wheat and paddy, was increased, this phenomenon is known as the Green Revolution.

Land reforms had a limited impact on rural society from 1950 to 1960 as landlords escaped by using delayed implementation and loopholes in the reform law.

The green revolution brought both positive and negative changes where the green revolution implemented.

The following characteristics of the green revolution:

  • It was a government Programme
  • Largely funded by the International agency
  • Usage of High Yielding variety, pesticides, fertilizer, and other input
  • Introduced in assured irrigated areas only in Punjab, Haryana, Western UP, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and part of Tamil Nadu.

Impacts of Green Revolution:

  • Socio-economic implications
    • Higher productivity and self-sufficiency in food grains production
    • Increases inequality in rural society
    • Displacement of tenant cultivators
    • Displacement of Rural-Urban Migration
    • Worsen the economic condition of the rural worker
    • Commercialization and dependency on market
    • Increase regional inequality
  • Ecological implications


Higher productivity and self-sufficiency in food grains production:

  • Agricultural productivity increased sharply and India became self-sufficient in food grain production in a decade.

Increases inequality in rural society:

  • The larger and medium farmers only afforded the high input cost, small and marginal farmers could not afford this high input cost and were left unbenefitted.
  • Farmers benefited most of those who were able to access land, capital, technology, and knowledge.
  • Those who do not have much land are only able to produce for family consumption; those who were able to produce much are able to sell in the market and get benefitted most.
  • Rich farmers become richer and poor farmers do not benefit much.

Displacement of tenant cultivators;

  • Prior to the green revolution, the tenant cultivators get to land as a lease from the landlord as landlords had too big land to do cropping by using traditional agricultural tools.
  • After the induction of new agriculture technology and modern agriculture tools, landlords get back their own land from the tenant leads to tenant displacement.

Displacement of Rural-Urban Migration;

  • Service cast groups such as likes tractors, threshers, and harvesters increase leading to rural-urban migration.
  • Labor worker migration increased from drought-prone areas to irrigated areas as the demand for labor increased when the green revolution was introduced.

Worsen the economic condition of the rural worker;

  • The wage of rural workers does not increase despite high productivity.
  • The mode of payment also shifted from food grains to cash.
  • The above two worsened the economic condition of most of the workers.

Commercialization and dependency on market;

  • The second phase of the green revolution was introduced in the semi-arid region of India.
  • Cropping pattern changes and cash crops such as cotton are grown for the market.
  • Market-oriented single crops such as cotton and bananas are grown.
  • Commercialization and dependency on the market increase livelihood insecurity; a fall in price or bad crops increases the insecurity.
  • Mono-crop culture also increases the chance of crop failure and leads to nutrient depletion in the soil.


Increase regional inequality:

  • The first phase of the green revolution was implemented in the limited part of the country where assured irrigation was available as the result Punjab, Haryana, Western UP, and part of Tamil Nadu become more developed as compared to eastern UP, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and other parts of the country. It leads to regional inequality.


The ecological implication of the green revolution;

  • The traditional variety of seeds was developed in the county over centuries lost due to the usage of HYV and GM seed.
  • The traditional variety of seeds has more nutritional values as compared to HYV which could be good for nutrient security and biodiversity.
  • The usage of chemical fertilizers leads to water pollution and soil infertility.
  • Chemical fertilization and pesticides kill the microorganisms present in the soil; bad for biodiversity.
  • Excess demands of water lead to groundwater depletion.
Try to solve the following questions:
  • Discuss the results of the Green Revolution in India. ( 65th BPSC geography)
  • Assess the effects of the "Green Revolution" in India. ( 60-62nd BPSC geography)

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Try to solve the following questions:
  • "India has paid heavily for the achievement of Green Revolution in the form of economic, social, and ecological cost." Discuss. (UPSC 2016 200 words, 15 marks)
  • Critically Examine the Impact of the Green Revolution in India. ( UPPSC, UP PCS, 2019, 15 Marks)
  •  "In spite of various negative impacts of Green Revolution, there is a demand for New Green Revolution". Elaborate. (UPSC 2014, 200 words, 15 marks)
  • भारत में हरित क्रांति के प्रभाव का आलोचनात्मक परीक्षण कीजिये।

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