Scribd
Upload
191 views28 pages

Green Revolution and Biotechnology Overview

The document discusses the history of addressing food production and population growth from Thomas Malthus' predictions of famine to the modern Green Revolution and use of biotechnology. It provides details on the Green Revolution's increases in agricultural output in various countries from the 1950s-1980s through new crop varieties and techniques. However, it also notes criticisms of the Revolution's negative environmental and social impacts and benefitting of larger farmers. The document also examines current debates around genetically modified crops and food biotechnology.

Uploaded by

Saurav Tiwari
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
191 views28 pages

Green Revolution and Biotechnology Overview

The document discusses the history of addressing food production and population growth from Thomas Malthus' predictions of famine to the modern Green Revolution and use of biotechnology. It provides details on the Green Revolution's increases in agricultural output in various countries from the 1950s-1980s through new crop varieties and techniques. However, it also notes criticisms of the Revolution's negative environmental and social impacts and benefitting of larger farmers. The document also examines current debates around genetically modified crops and food biotechnology.

Uploaded by

Saurav Tiwari
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

THE GREEN REVOLUTION

(The Third Agricultural Revolution) And Biotechnology

THOMAS MALTHUS
19th century economist Believed that because population grows geometrically and food production arithmetically famine was inevitable. Slowing the growth of population was the only possibility to prevent starvation

History (so far) has proven Malthus wrong . . .

POPULATION and FOOD PRODUCTION GROWTH Percentage increases 1980-1990


LDCs POPULATION MDCs

FOOD PRODUCTION

PER CAPITA INCREASE IN FOOD PRODUCTION 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

INCREASE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION PER CAPITA

GREEN REVOLUTION
A complex of improvements which greatly increased agricultural production Since 1950s Greatest effect felt in LDCs Agricultural output outpaced population growth even without adding additional cropland Adoption of new, improved varieties of grains Application of better agricultural techniques
Irrigation Mechanization Use of fertilizer Use of pesticides

Principal Beneficiaries of the Green Revolution WHEAT


Mexico Egypt Turkey

RICE
Thailand Vietnam Korea Indonesia

BOTH
India China Pakistan

Golden Rice
THE GREAT YELLOW HOPE

In 1982, the Rockefeller Foundation funded research into rice varieties to promote global health Nutritionally enhanced rice
Used a daffodil gene Rice now produces beta-carotene The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A Blindness in LDCs is caused by vitamin A deficiencies

Time Magazine declares: This rice could save a million kids a year. Greenpeace acknowledged: Golden rice is a moral challenge to our position.

Golden Rice
THE GREAT YELLOW HYPE An 11 year-old child would need to eat 15 pounds of golden rice a day to satisfy the minimum daily requirement of vitamin A Conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A requires fat and protein in the diet (these are lacking in LDCs) Asians may not want to eat golden rice they prefer white rice over the more nutrient rich brown rice which has always existed Education to push golden rice costs money why not just hand out vitamin A? Golden rice cost more than $100 million to develop it is just a PR stunt for genetically altered foods

Green Revolution benefits

Core exports high-yield miracle seeds


Needed oil-based fertilizers, pesticides Asian rice crop up 66% in 1965-85 Favored areas with good soil, weather

Green Revolution

Green Revolution drawbacks


Favored farmers who could afford seeds, inputs, machines, irrigation Indebted farmers lost land, moved to cities New monocrops lacked resistance to disease/pests Environmental contamination, erosion Oriented to export cash crops, not domestic

Biotechnology: Using organisms to


Make or modify products
Improve plants or animals Develop new microorganisms Crossing natural divides between species
Not just crossbreeding

Genetic Engineering

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

Consumer concerns began in Europe, now in U.S. too

FRANKENFOODS

G ENETICALLY MODIFIED CRO PS - 2000


Others, 9%

Argentina, 23%

USA, 68%

Biotechnology benefits in agriculture


Increase yields

Increase pest resistance Grow crops in new areas

Biotechnology drawbacks in agriculture


High costs (available to few)

Monocrops have less tolerance to disease


Possible health effects Contamination of wild crops (superweeds) Corporate patents on life forms

Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH)

Starlink corn

Cloning
First calf cloned in Wisconsin, 1997.

Many clones die of complications.


Ethical and economic conflicts

San Francisco Farmers Market

Minneapolis airport flower stand

You might also like