• The transformation of agriculture that began in 1944, with the mission of greatly increasing food yields through technology and selective breeding.

• Was seen as a sustainable method for agriculture to keep up with rapid population growth.

• The actual term “Green Revolution” wasn’t coined until 1968 by USAID Director William Gaud.

• Seen as a vehicle to eliminate world hunger.

Methods to achieve goals

• Introduction of pesticides and fertilizers to the developing world to increase food yields.

• The selection of higher-yielding strains of staple foods such as wheat, rice, and maize.

• Genetically altering foods to make them more disease resistance, produce more, and utilize less space.

Norman Borlaug: (March 25, 1914- September 12, 2009)

• Born in Iowa in the midst of the Great Depression.

• Completed his PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Minnesota in 1942.

• Dedicated his life’s work to creating sustainable methods in agriculture to eliminate hunger.

• First major project was the Cooperative Wheat Research and Production Program in Mexico.

Norman Borlaug cont…

• Within 20 years, Mexico went from importing over 50% of its wheat to becoming a net exporter.

• Referred success in Mexico as "a temporary success in man's war against hunger and deprivation."

• India is considered to be Borlaug’s crowning achievement: A nation on the brink of mass famine to later becoming a major exporter of rice and able to feed itself.

• Borlaug also led projects with the assistance of the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations' in the Philippines and Pakistan that were considered largely successful.

Norman Borlaug cont…

• Recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements and continued efforts to feed the world’s hungry.

• Championed the developments of agricultural science and “progress” until his death last year.

• Repeatedly stated before death that without some semblance of population control, science and agricultural production are on the end of a losing battle.

General Praise• Global food production reaching the point of

being able to meet the needs of the population. • Mexico, India, and the Philippines going from

food shortages to becoming net exporters. • Increased yields has kept food prices at

affordable levels for the majority of the world. • Scientific fields such as molecular genetics, plant

pathology, and soil science have continued to undergo major developments and advancements.

• Proponents state that over a 1 billion lives have been saved due to the Green Revolution.

Criticism

• Despite increases in food production, large quantities of the population still go hungry.

• The Green Revolution gave the upper-hand to big business and squeezed out local farmers.

• Despite food prices staying relatively cheap, production costs such as fertilizer and pesticides have continued to go up.

• Projects on the African continent have been a complete failure and widespread famine remains.

Criticism cont…

• Lack of nutrients in the strains of staple crops being mass-produced.

• Environmental damage caused Green Revolution such as nitrogen runoff of fertilizers in the water supply and toxins found in pesticides.

• Excess groundwater use and soil erosion caused by increased agriculture.

• Health problems that arise from polluted water supplies, pesticides, and nitrogen runoff.

• Implemented by the military regime in the 1970s as a means to commercialize agriculture.

• Agriculture market was foreign-driven, with crops such as soy be promoted by the government.

• Govt. supported the importation of foreign pesticides, fertilizers, and technology as a means of “progress”.

• Production yields greatly increased but the majority of the produce was exported.

• The increase in production of non-traditional exports such as soy created shortages of staple foods.

• In addition to government organizations such as BANDESA (Agricultural Development Bank), USAID and other multinationals greatly influenced commerce.

• US sponsored Alliance for Progress funded development projects throughout the country, but also sponsored counter-insurgency programs for the military.

• Presidents Johnson and Kennedy saw investments as a means to prevent the spread of communism.

• This focus on diversification and a export driven economy adversely affected the poor and indigenous population.