Written by Mansi Gupta

Among all the movements and revolutions that took place post-independence, the Green Revolution was a major one. It played a major role in eradicating food scarcity in north India. The revolution was a significant agricultural transformation that began in the 1960s, driven by the adoption of high-yielding crop varieties, advanced irrigation techniques, synthetic fertilisers, and pesticides. When India gained independence, there was a large population dealing with poverty and a scarcity of food grains. India faced a severe food crisis in the 1960s due to rapid population growth, low agricultural productivity, frequent droughts, and high dependence on food imports. The main cause of less productivity was over-dependence on monsoon and outdated agriculture structure. Under these tough conditions, becoming self-sufficient in agriculture was the topmost priority of leaders. Millions would have died of starvation if the Green Revolution hadn’t come to action. India was already termed as a “ship to mouth” economy, as the import was as high as 10 million tonnes from the US under the P.L.480 scheme. India was left with no foreign exchange to pay for it. The situation became so alarming that the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave a call to the nation to “skip a meal in a week”. That is when the Green Revolution came into action under the 2nd five-year plan. The revolution was launched to address India’s hunger crisis and increase agricultural productivity. In India, the initiative was led by M.S. Swaminathan. Due to the introduction of high-yielding variety seeds to developing countries in the middle of 20th century, Green Revolution yielded great results as it increased the production of food grains like wheat and rice.

Effects of the Green Revolution

Green Revolution’s early successes were in Mexico and the Indian subcontinent. The Green Revolution, spreading over the period from 1967-68 to 1977-78, drastically changed India’s position from a “struggling for food” country to one of the world’s leading agricultural nations. The main goal of this vast revolution was to first achieve self-reliance and food security for the population and reduce dependence on food imports. Second important thing was to help millions of farmers by helping them increase their productivity and reduce poverty. Third main objective was the bring the technological advancements in the agriculture sector to make it more efficient and profitable. How were we able to achieve all of them? Let’s understand – Even though the area for cultivation was increasing, it was still not enough to meet the rising demand for food supply. The Green Revolution resolved this by assisting in the quantitative expansion of farmlands. The most significant feature of the Green Revolution was the double-cropping system. The idea was to practice growing two or more crops on the same piece of land during one year, instead of just one crop. To grow more crops, more water was needed and India’s agricultural sector was heavily based on monsoon. To resolve this problem, the irrigation projects of the Green Revolution came in. In this phase, dams were being built, tubewell irrigation was used and practices like drip irrigation were followed. The third aspect of the revolution was using improved genetic seeds. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research developed new strains of high-yield variety seeds, mainly wheat and rice, millet and corn. The usage of pesticides and fertilisers to save crops from damage became prominent. The Green Revolution increased the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and weedicides to reduce crop damage and loss, and to promote commercial farming. This resulted in the agricultural sector experiencing growth at the rate of 3 to 5 % per annum which was many times more than what the rate of growth had been during the colonial period (less than 1%).

Green Revolution and Social Change

This was a period of rapid technological and social change, which was brought about by the Green Revolution. It was the phase of transition from being peasant farmers to growing crops from low technological usage to expensive commercial farming with modern technology. It was not just a technological shift from bullocks to tractors, it was a shift of mindset that crops can be commercialised and can be exported too. However, the impact of this program has not been equally beneficial for all sections of the agrarian population. The Green Revolution has had a destabilising effect on the socio-economic conditions of small and poor peasants, sharecroppers, and landless agricultural labourers. The use of new technology in irrigation, HYV seeds (High Yield Variety seeds), pesticides, and fertilisers was beyond the reach of smallholder farmers which naturally made farmers from Punjab and Haryana perform better than the farmers of Bihar and Orissa, where marginal farmers were plentiful. This widened the gap between small and rich farmers. Big landholder farmers were able to bear the fruitful results of the revolution while the real wage rate of marginal farmers and agricultural labourers kept decreasing in most of the places. This resulted in huge inequality and gaps in the agrarian sector and created a situation of unrest in rural areas. During the 1960s and late 70s, a lot of conflicts were seen in the Green Revolution regions. On the one side was going through a huge lifestyle change and becoming a prosperous class, but on another side, there was a region that did not benefit from this revolution at all. This resulted in the growth of a new capitalist class of farmers in the country. The policies of the Green Revolution needed to be altered to meet the needs of sharecroppers, and small and marginal farmers. Even during 2024, the rural-urban divide is a critical issue in the agriculture sector. Urban areas are mostly benefited from industrialisation and modern infrastructure, which attracts rural populations seeking better opportunities to earn their livelihood. This migration depopulates the rural areas, causing concentration of resources in cities. The Green Revolution may have resolved food crisis in India on a larger scale but the benefits were confined to specific regions that resulted in a social-economic divide in the agriculture sector.

Environmental Effects of the Green Revolution

Green Revolution was highly successful in agricultural production, as it eradicated the lack of cultivation. However, it had some adverse impacts on the environment in the forms of deforestation, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, increase in greenhouse gas emissions etc. For example, before the revolution, it is speculated that there were over 3000 variants of rice. Now it is estimated that only ten modified varieties of rice are used. Major high-intensity agricultural productions were highly reliant on non-renewable resources. Agricultural machinery and transport, as well as the production of pesticides and nitrates all depend on fossil fuels. One of the major negative impacts of Green Revolutions was land degradation. Since the crop production drastically increased, it used a lot of agrochemicals like pesticides and fertilizers which led to soil degradation. The chemicals killed microbes in the soil and depleted the soil’s nutrient and organic matter. Pesticides were often sprayed by untrained farm labourers without proper precautions, which harmed crops and polluted the soil and environment. Pesticide residues can also end up in food. The depletion of soil and land has led to desertification in a lot of areas.

Heavy Industries and Green Revolution

The Green Revolution also had a profound impact on heavy industries, as the demand for agricultural machinery, chemical fertilisers, and pesticides increased. The growth in these industries led to a surge in job creation that contributed to industrialisation. However, it also brought challenges. The Green Revolution was not entirely successful as it was not beneficial for the whole country because of the given geographical differences. The Shield Region of India, like the Chota Nagpur Plateau, Dharwar, Bastar, Singhbhum, Rajmahal, Bundelkhand, and Aravalli, did not benefit much from the agricultural advancements. This region required a tailored strategy to grow crops which did not happen. As these areas were rich in coal, and steel, industrialists started heavy industrial plants in cities like – Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Ranchi, Dhanbad etc. As these steel and mining industries developed, they started to manufacture essential agricultural machinery, including tractors and other farm equipment, which were then supplied to regions benefiting from the Green Revolution. By 2024, this integration of industrial and agricultural sectors highlights the interconnectedness of economic activities. These developments signify a concerted effort to build on the lessons of the Green Revolution, striving for inclusive growth and environmental stewardship in agriculture. In the last five years, significant changes have been made by integrating sustainable practices, like reduced chemical inputs in agriculture. Agriculture policies now focuses on gender equality and youth involvement in agriculture, addressing social disparities. Technological advancements like digital agriculture, use of bots, and precision farming have not only enhanced the quality of crops but the efficiency has also increased. Today, farmers across the country are experiencing a newfound sense of economic security and assurance, specially with the key schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) making it the 3rd largest insurance scheme. These kind of efforts build on the lessons of the Green Revolution, striving for inclusive and sustainable growth.

Conclusion

Now the question arises, was the Green Revolution a sustainable step? The answer is complex. While it had its faults and led to disparities in society, as well as numerous environmental consequences, it undeniably brought about significant advancements. The surge in food production helped in dealing with hunger and laid the groundwork for economic development in many regions. However, it also led to many social and economic inequalities and caused substantial environmental damage. By understanding the challenges and achievements of the revolution, we can work towards more sustainable, environmentally responsible and technologically advanced practices. The lessons from the Green Revolution can help in developing such policies that balance productivity with social equity and environmental stewardship, ensuring that future agricultural and industrial developments contribute to a healthier, more inclusive world.