1. The Green Revolution
AP Human Geography
2013

2. What was the Green Revolution?
Termed coined by U.S. Agency for International Development director William Gaud (March 1968)
Movement to increase yields by using:
Hybrid seeds
Irrigation
Fertilizers
Pesticides
mechanization

3. What was the Green Revolution?
A planned international effort funded by:
Rockefeller Foundation
Ford Foundation
Many developing country governments
An attempt by agricultural scientists to eliminate hunger by improving crop performance

4. When did it begin?
Began in 1943 with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation to support a group of U.S. agricultural scientists

5. Who invented the Green Revolution?
Norman Borlaug considered father of the Green Revolution
U.S. plant pathologist/breeder
Joined Rockefeller Foundation in 1944
Assigned to the international maize and wheat improvement center (CIMMYT) in Mexico
Won the Nobel in 1970

6. Impact of the Green Revolution
Praise
Agric. Production now outpaces pop growth
Use of fertilizers has increased food productivity in many countries
Criticisms
Poor countries cannot always afford the machinery, seeds, and fertilizers
Farmers in poor countries cannot afford fertilizers leading to inequalities b/ween rich and poor; fertilizers lead to ground water pollution

7. Impact of the Green Revolution
Praise
New irrigation processes have greatly increased crop yields
Higher productivity is primarily responsible for reducing dependency on imports in Asia, including China and India
Criticisms
Irrigation has led to serious ground water depletion, negatively impacting water supplies for urban population
Green Revolution technology has not made significant impact in Sub-Saharan Africa

8. Impact of the Green Revolution
Praise
Use of machinery to increase productivity
Green revolution technology and training have focused on men
Criticisms
Has decreased the need for human labor, resulting in unemployment in some places
Tended to exclude women who play important role in food production
Green rev seeds may produce crops that are less nutritious

9. Decreased the production of biomass fuels- wood, crop residues, and dung
Emphasis on monocultures has made agric more vulnerable to disease and pests