1.

INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh is a very small country of 1,47,570 square kilometer area having a
population of 130 millions. The country has only 8.29 million hectare (Bangladesh
Krishi Diary 2003) cultivable land against the huge population. The land area is
gradually decreasing because of population growth, industrialization and other
infrastructure development. This results a declining trend of per capita land availability
from 0.13 hectare to 0.06 hectare during last few decades (1960 to 2000) . However,
agriculture plays a pivotal role in overall economic development of the country, not
only in terms of it contribution to GDP( about 20% of the GDP). More than 70% of the
population dependents on agriculture. In order to feed the huge population green
revolution has emerged in 1960s and priority was given to produce more food in terms
of grain through intensification of land usage. It has created a tremendous pressure on
limited land resources. New crop variety (HYV) was introduced as well as chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, irrigation in the name of modernization. As a result
immediate objectives of more grain production have achieved and grain (rice)
production has increased by manifold. For a shorter period Bangladesh has achieved so
called self sufficiency in food (rice). A suicidal policy of just extraction of soil was
followed. A lot of HYVs, Hybrids has introduced that require increased amount of
chemicals. Soil fertility conservation issue is totally ignored. As a result, soil is rapidly
loosing its fertility. Acreage production is getting downward despite of using high
doses of chemical fertilizer and pesticides.

2.MEANING AND DEFINITION OF GREEN REVOLUTION

Throughout history there have been many revolutions that have occurred and changed
human lives, such as the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. In the
mid- and late-20th century a revolution occurred that dramatically changed the field of
agriculture, and this revolution was known as the Green Revolution.

In addition to the chemical advances utilized during this time period, high-yield crops
were also developed and introduced. High-yield crops are crops that are specifically
designed to produce more overall yield. A method known as multiple cropping was
also implemented during the Green Revolution and lead to higher productivity.
Multiple cropping is when a field is used to grow two or more crops throughout the
year, so that the field constantly has something growing on it. These new farming
techniques and advances in agricultural technology were utilized by farmers all over
the world, and when combined, intensified the results of the Green Revolution.
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We can define green revolution by the following way,

 The Green Revolution was a period when the productivity of global agriculture
increased drastically as a result of new advances. During this time period, new
chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and pesticides were created. The
chemical fertilizers made it possible to supply crops with extra nutrients and,
therefore, increase yield. The newly developed synthetic herbicides and
pesticides controlled weeds, deterred or kill insects, and prevented diseases,
which also resulted in higher productivity.
 According to oxford dictionaries green revolution means, “a large increase in
crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of fertilizers,
pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties’.

 The term Green Revolution refers to the renovation of agricultural practices

beginning in Mexico in the 1940s. Because of its success in producing more
agricultural products there, Green Revolution technologies spread worldwide in
the 1950s and 1960s, significantly increasing the amount of calories produced per
acre of agriculture.

3.HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN REVOLUTION

Traditionally, the term “Green Revolution” refers to a series of initiatives in research,

development, and technology transfer that took place between the 1940s and the late
1960s. These efforts led to increased agricultural production worldwide, particularly in
developing countries.

The beginnings of the Green Revolution are often attributed to Norman Borlaug, an
American scientist interested in agriculture known as father of green revolution.

In the 1940s, he began conducting research in Mexico and developed new disease
resistance high-yield varieties of wheat. By combining Borlaug's wheat varieties with
new mechanized agricultural technologies, Mexico was able to produce more wheat
than was needed by its own citizens, leading to its becoming an exporter of wheat by
the 1960s. Prior to the use of these varieties, the country was importing almost half of its
wheat supply.

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Due to the success of the Green Revolution in Mexico, its technologies spread
worldwide in the 1950s and 1960s. The United States for instance, imported about half
of its wheat in the 1940s but after using Green Revolution technologies, it became self-
sufficient in the 1950s and became an exporter by the 1960s. The Green Revolution was
the notable increase in cereal-grains production in Mexico, India, Pakistan, the
Philippines, and other developing countries in the 1960s and 1970s. This trend resulted
from the introduction of hybrid strains of wheat, rice, and corn (maize) and the
adoption of modern agricultural technologies, including irrigation and heavy doses of
chemical fertilizer.

In order to continue using Green Revolution technologies to produce more food for a
growing population worldwide, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation,
as well as many government agencies around the world funded increased research. In
1963 with the help of this funding, Mexico formed an international research institution
called The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. Countries all over the
world in turn benefited from the Green Revolution work conducted by Borlaug and this
research institution. India for example was on the brink of mass famine in the early
1960s because of its rapidly growing population.

Borlaug and the Ford Foundation then implemented research there and they developed
a new variety of rice, IR8, that produced more grain per plant when grown with
irrigation and fertilizers. Today, India is one of the world's leading rice producers and
IR8 rice usage spread throughout Asia in the decades following the rice's development
in India. In addition to Mexico, Pakistan, India, and the Philippines, countries benefiting
from the Green Revolution included Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Iran,
Kenya, Malaya, Morocco, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey. The Green Revolution
contributed to the overall economic growth of these nations by increasing the incomes
of farmers (who were then able to afford tractors and other modern equipment), the use
of electrical energy, and consumer goods, thus increasing the pace and volume of trade
and commerce.

The Green Revolution was based on years of painstaking scientific research, but when it
was deployed in the field, it yielded dramatic results, nearly doubling wheat
production in a few years. The extra food produced by the Green Revolution is
generally considered to have averted famine in India and Pakistan; it also allowed
many developing countries to keep up with the population growth that many observers
had expected would outstrip food production. The leader of a Mexican research term,

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U.S. agronomist Norman Borlaug, was instrumental in introducing the new wheat to
India and Pakistan and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

4.IMPORTANCE OR ADVANTAGES OF GREEN REVOLUTION

4.1.Agricultural Operation Of A Massive Scale : Green revolution has brought

agriculture to a massive scale. By looking at the world before this modern method, we
can see that crops that were grow o a massive scale are only those that require extensive
manual intervention to grow healthy. This means that managing massive scale farms
was not that easy. Thanks to green revolution we have identified more ways to make
things easier. Most crops, these days, are grown on an industrial scale even by smaller
farming communities.

4.2. Plants Have Become Resistance to Herbicides And Pests : Perhaps the
greatest gift Green Revolution has given to us is the ability to give crops resistance to
pests and herbicides. In the past, developing economies, which were still adapting to
technology and did not have very high literacy rates, struggled with farming. Now that
Green Revolution is here, this has changed, not only leading to more produce, but also
making it healthier.

4.3. The Need to Fellow Land is Eliminated : This modern method of farming has
allowed farmers to re-plant the same crops without fallowing their lands, which is
another significant achievement of the inculcation of technology and knowledge in
agriculture. Take note that fallowing used to be costly for farmers. Though there are
some crops that still need fallowing, making crops for more profits has been made cost-
efficient with Green Revolution.

4.4. Automation in The Process of Farming : With automation, Green Revolution

has made farming more predictable. It is important to note that there is more
dependence on resources that are under human control than nature and other external
factors. Now, when it comes to studying seeds and soil health, this modern method has
given us the convenience to do most of such tricky work in the boardroom, rather than
running year-long trials and then failing with massive losses to farmers.

4.5. Ability to Grow Any Crop Virtually Anywhere : Green Revolution has made
it possible for agriculture to be done almost everywhere. Of course, you still cannot
grow potatoes on a plateau or paddy on a beach, but you can use most types of land or
terrain to grow crops with this method. Thus, farmers do not have to be at the most

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fertile river banks to be able to start farming. Agriculture has definitely become more
doable everywhere.

4.6. More Profitable Farming Industry : Truth be told, farmers around the world
were mostly poor, unless their families had large tracts of land and numerous farms
that grow multiple crops. With Green revolution there are richer farmers today.

4.7. Change in Cropping Pattern : Two changes are significant. First the proportion
of cereals in the food grains output has increased and the proportion of pulses has been
declined. Second the proportion of wheat cereals has increased while that of coarse
grains has declined.

4.8. Scientific Cultivation : A very important effect of green revolution is that

traditional agricultural inputs and practices have given way to new and scientific
practices. Instead of farm seeds, farmers are now using HYV seeds. Traditional
fertilizers are replaced by chemical fertilizers. Consequently under HYV seeds
increased sharply from 1.66 million hectares in 1996-2000.

5.IMPACT OF GREEN REVOLUTION

The impacts of Green Revolution can be discussed under two heads:

 Economic impact of Green Revolution

 Sociological impact of Green Revolution.
 Production impact of green revolution
 Environmental impact of green revolution

 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GREEN REVOLUTION

The important economic impact of the Green Revolution are :

5.1.1. Increase in Agricultural Production: The first major direct effect of the green
revolution has been the sharp increase in agricultural production. As a result of new
agricultural strategy, food grains output increased substantially. So far as food grains
are concerned, wheat seems to have made rapid strides with its production increasing
from 11.1 million tons in the Third Plan (annual average) 63 million tons in 1995-96.In
the second phase, the revolution has spread to other crops. Most of the important crops
registered a sizable increase during the seventies.

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5.1.2. Increase in Productivity: The productivity of agriculture, as measured in terms
of yield per hectare, has increased.

5.1.3. Impact on Employment: Capital-intensive techniques of the new agricultural

strategy are supposed to be also at the same time labor-intensive. This new technology
is characterized by frequent application of water, fertilizers, insecticides, double
cropping, larger volumes of transportation, Marketing and food-processing. This will
lead to increased employment and increased income among the agricultural laborers
and small farmers.

5.1.4. Dependence on the Industrial Sector: An important aspect of the new

agricultural strategy is the stress it lays, on making agriculture dependent on industries
for its inputs. The traditional agriculture was self-sufficient in the matter of its input
requirements. But the new strategy attaches great importance of industrial products as
agricultural inputs. As domestic investments always involve a great deal of foreign
participation, the new strategy involves encouraging a direct role of the multinationals
in agricultural development.

5.1.4. Impact on Agrarian Structure: One aspect of the new strategy would make the
agrarian structure dualistic. It would consist of a prosperous, production-oriented,
profit oriented and technology-oriented, thin crust of big farms and a great mass of
small farmers that would lag behind in matters of production, profit and technology.
The thin crust of big farms would swallow up the greater part of the resources that
would be allocated by the state for the agricultural sector.

5.1.5 Impact on Landless Labor: In the green revolution areas, there has been a
marked increase in demand for wage-labor particularly at the peak period. As a result
of increased demand for labor, the position of labor in the market will improve and they
will fight against economic and social oppression.

 Sociological Impact Of Green Revolution

The green revolution has pushed up the level of income in the rural sector of the
economy. The increase in production has generated larger incomes in the rural sector
and has also widened regional disparities.

5.2.1. Inter-Personal Inequalities: The green revolution has promoted inequalities

and has widened the already existing gulf between the rich and the poor in the rural

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sector. A large part of the benefits of the green revolution has gone to a privileged
section of rich farmers who are in a position to afford the new strategy which is a
package programme. The new strategy needs substantial investments which are
generally beyond the means of a majority of the small and marginal farmers.

5.2.2. Regional Inequalities: The new agricultural strategy has restricted to only a
few regions. As a result, the benefits of the new strategy have remained concentrated in
this area only. Two-thirds of the total cultivable land areas have been kept outside the
influence of the revolution.

5.2.3. Change in Attitudes: One encouraging feature of the green revolution is the
change in the attitudes of farmers in areas where new agricultural strategy has being
practiced. Increase in productivity has raised the status of agriculture from a low-level
subsistence activity to a money-making activity. The farmers have accepted technical
change in the pursuit of profit thus belaying the criticism against them that they are
backward, traditional, conservative and unresponsive to price and productivity
incentives.

 Production Impact Of Green Revolution

5.3.1.Impact On Productivity And Food Prices : The rapid increase in agricultural

output resulting from the GR came from an impressive increase in yields per hectare.
Between 1960 and 2000, yields for all developing countries rose 208% for wheat, 109%
for rice, 157% for maize, 78% for potatoes, and 36% for cassava . Asia had already
invested significantly in irrigation infrastructure at the start of the GR and continued to
do so throughout the GR and post-GR periods. Widespread adoption of GR led to a
significant shift in the food supply function, contributing to a fall in real food prices.
Between 1960 and 1990, food supply in developing countries increased 12–13%.
Estimates suggest that, without the CGIAR and national program crop germplasm
improvement efforts, food production in developing countries would have been almost
20% lower (requiring another 20–25 million hectares of land under cultivation
worldwide. World food and feed prices would have been 35–65% higher, and average
caloric availability would have declined by 11–13%. Overall, these efforts benefited
virtually all consumers in the world and the poor relatively more so, because they
spend a greater share of their income on food

5.3.2. Access To Crop Genetic Improvements : The CGIAR’s numerous crop

improvement networks allowed for the best breeding materials and knowledge to be

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widely and freely available and used across the developing world (30, 31). National
Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in developing countries generally used varieties
or crosses from CGIAR centers as parents and then adapted those varieties for
particular agro ecological environments or preferences. Enabling such adaptive
transfers significantly improved research efficiency, reduced research costs, and greatly
expanded the pool of genetic resources and varieties available to the national programs.
Such an uninhibited system of germplasm exchange with the best international
materials allowed countries to make strategic decisions about investing in plant
breeding capacity . In general, large NARSs engaged in adaptive transfers rather than
direct use of CGIAR-generated varieties and crosses, whereas small NARSs used the
material directly . The CGIAR content of modern varieties was high for most food
crops; 36% of all varietal releases were based on CGIAR crosses, although it varies
greatly by crop (34). In addition, 26% of all modern varieties had a CGIAR-crossed
parent or other ancestor .

5.3.3. Returns to Crop Improvement Research Investment : High rates of return for
crop breeding improvements that have wide adaptability, such as those improvements
for wheat, rice and maize. The more recent evidence also shows high returns for
improvements in orphan crops in the post-GR period . No studies have found evidence
of significant decline in rates of return to agricultural research in the post-GR period,
likely because of continued investment in breeding for improved stress tolerance in
addition to yield growth. For example, a recent estimate of the total benefits of
resistance to all types of wheat rust was estimated to generate between $600 million and
$2 billion per year . The spread of crop genetic improvement for marginal production
environments and orphan crops adds to the continued high returns that have been
observed in the post-GR period. In Africa, for instance, the internal rates of return to
CGIAR investments from 2000 to 2020 in the dual purpose cowpea, which was
developed through a collaboration between International Institute for Tropical
Agriculture and the International Livestock Research Institute, have been estimated
between 50% and 103%, depending on the assumptions used.

 Environmental Impact of Green Revolution (Environment: Impacts Have

Been Mixed.)

GR-driven intensification saved new land from conversion to agriculture, a known

source of greenhouse gas emissions and driver of climate change, and allowed for the
release of marginal lands out of agricultural production into providing alternative
ecosystem services, such as the regeneration of forest cover . HYVs more responsive to

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external inputs were central to the productivity achievements; however, in many cases,
appropriate research and policies to incentivize judicious use of inputs were largely
lacking. Unintended consequences in water use, soil degradation, and chemical runoff
have had serious environmental impacts beyond the areas cultivated . The slowdown in
yield growth that has been observed since the mid-1980s can be attributed, in part, to
the above degradation of the agricultural resource base. These environmental costs are
widely recognized as a potential threat to the long-term sustainability and replication of
the GR’s success.

The environmental consequences were not caused by the GR technology per se but
rather, the policy environment that promoted injudicious and overuse of inputs and
expansion of cultivation into areas that could not sustain high levels of intensification,
such as the sloping lands. Output price protection and input subsides—especially
fertilizer, pesticide, and irrigation water—distorted incentives at the farm level for
adopting practices that would enhance efficiency in input use and thereby, contribute to
sustaining the agricultural resource base. Where the policy incentives were corrected,
farmers quickly changed behavior and adopted more sustainable practices. For
example, the removal of pesticide subsides in Indonesia in the early 1990s led to a
dramatic drop in insecticide use.

6.PROBLEMS OR LIMITATIONS OF GREEN REVOLUTION

6.1. Mono-Culturing : Among the most prominent shortcomings of Green Evolution

is mono-culturing. This practice demands large tracts of land, which are not always
available, large volumes of water and intensive amounts of fertilizers. These needs
poses difficulties for farmers around the world.

6.2. Probability Of Weeds And Pests To Develop Hazards : Green Revolution is

speculated to develop poisonous and super weeds and pests that are difficult to control.
There is also the concern of cross pollination from genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) to other plants in the environment, which could result in invasive species.

6.3. Compromise To Crop Health : There have been some cases with this modern
farming method, where unknown ailments have plagued the health of various crop
species. It is always thought of that some new breeds of weed and pests can develop,
and they may resist pesticides that are used right now.

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6.4. Varied Soil Type By Location : Green Revolution does not take into
consideration the type of soil or its suitability for certain types of crop; it just considers
the land area and does what is needed for the cultivation of crops each year. The
following year requires fresh procurement of seeds, but nothing is done to ensure that
the fertility of the soil is retained or replenished.

6.5. High Cost : The price of the industrial farming and its equipment under Green
Revolution may not be affordable for small farmers.

6.6. Shortage Of Supply : There is a sterner focus on cash crops with this modern
method, and innumerable farmers are trying to grow them, which is leading to a
shortage of staple food crops.

6.7.Environmental Damage : Excessive and inappropriate use of fertilizers and

pesticides has polluted waterway, killed beneficial insects and wild life. It has caused
over-use of soil and rapidly depleted its nutrients. The rampant irrigation practices
have led to eventually soil degradation. Groundwater practices have fallen
dramatically. Further, heavy dependence on few major crops has led to loss of
biodiversity of farmers. These problems were aggravated due to absence of training to
use modern technology and vast illiteracy leading to excessive use of chemicals.

6.8.Increased Regional Disparities : Green revolution spread only in irrigated and

high-potential rain fed areas. The villages or regions without the access of sufficient
water were left out that widened the regional disparities between adopters and non-
adopters. Since, the HYV seeds technically can be applied only in land with assured
water supply and availability of other inputs like chemicals, fertilizers etc. The
application of the new technology in the dry-land areas is simply ruled out.

6.9.Restrictive Crop Coverage : The new agriculture strategy involving use of HYV
seeds was initially limited to wheat, maize. The other major crop i.e. rice responded
much later. The progress of developing and application of HYV seeds in other crops
especially commercial crops like oilseeds, jute etc. has been very slow. In fact, in certain
period a decline in the output of commercial crops is witnessed because of diversion of
area under commercial crop to food crop production. The basic factor for non-spread of
green revolution to many crops was that in the early 1960s the severe shortage in food
grains existed and imports were resorted to overcame the shortage. Government
initiated green revolution to increase food grain productivity and non-food grain crops
were not covered. The substantial rise in one or two food grain crop cannot make big

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difference in the total agricultural production. Thus new technology contributed
insignificantly in raising the overall agricultural production due to limited crop
coverage. So it is important that the revolutionary efforts should be made in all major
crops.

6.10.The Question Of Labor Absorption : There is a general consensus that the

adoption of new technology had reduced labor absorption in agriculture. The uneven
regional growth was mainly responsible for the low absorption of labor within
agriculture. The growth of output was also slow to generate adequate employment
opportunity. The sudden rise in the demand for labor in this field induce mechanization
and labor saving practices in general.

6.11.Health Hazard : The health hazard of new technology can also not be lost sight
of. Increased mechanization that has accompanied modernization of farm technology in
green revolution areas carries with it’s the risk of incapitation due to accidents. The
attitude of government towards the problems of treatment and rehabilitation of victims
of accidents on farm machines is that of total ambivalences.

6.12.Weeds Have Increased: Due to heavy crop rotation pattern we do not give rest
to land nor have time to employ proper weed removal system which has increased
weeds.

6.13.Pest Infestation Has Gone Up: Pests which we used to control by bio
degradable methods have become resistant to many pesticides and now these chemical
pesticides have turns to be non effective.

6.14.Loss Of Bio Diversity: Due to heavy use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and
fertilizers we have lost many birds and friendly insects and this is a big loss in long
term.

CONCLUSION
Green Revolution’s primary goal is to eliminate hunger worldwide, but there are still
people who are suffering from starvation, where most of them are women and children.
So, it is very important to have a clear and better understanding when it comes to
resolving such a problem. In order to eliminate it, more food must be produced.
According to research, there is enough food supply to feed everyone, and the
government is exerting full effort to sustain such need.

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Evenson RE, Gollin D.(2010).Assessing the impact of the green revolution ,Los banos :

Phillipines : 321-327.

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Evenson R.(2012). Crop variety improvement and Its Effect on Productivity.Cambridge ,

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Pingali p, Shah M.(1998). Sustaining rice and wheat production systems: Socio economic

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