The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997/The_Epic_Interactive_Encyclopedia_97.iso/g/green_revolution/infotext

Text File | 1992-09-03 | 1KB | 30 lines

In agriculture, a popular term (coined by
Borlaug) for the change in methods of arable
farming in developing countries. The intent
is to provide more and better food for their
populations, albeit with a heavy reliance on
chemicals and machinery. It was instigated in
the 1940s and 1950s, but abandoned by some
countries in the 1980s. Measures include the
increased use of tractors and other machines,
artificial fertilizers and pesticides, as
well as the breeding of new strains of crop
plants (mainly rice, wheat, and corn) and
farm animals. Much of the work is coordinated
by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations. The green revolution was
initially successful in SE Asia; India
doubled its wheat yield in 15 years, and the
rice yield in the Philippines rose by 75%.
However, yields have levelled off in many
areas and some countries, which cannot afford
the dams, fertilizers, and machinery
required, have adopted intermediate
technologies. High-yield varieties of cereal
plants require 70-90 kg/154-198 lb of
nitrogen per hectare, more than is available
to small farmers in developing countries. The
rich farmers therefore enjoy bigger harvests,
and the gap between rich and poor in the
Third World has grown.