The Not So 'Green Revolution'

‘The Green Revolution’ refers to the renovation of agricultural practices, which started in Mexico in the 1940s. Its success in increasing agricultural production saw these technologies spread across the globe in the second half of the 20^th Century. The combined role of fertilisers and irrigation in making such a revolution possible cannot be ignored, as these allowed for new high yielding crop varieties to be grown and permitted an expansion of agriculture to new land areas. Now, croplands and pastures have become one of the largest terrestrial biomes on the planet, rivalling forest cover in extent by occupying approximately 40% of the globe’s land surface.

A farmer gathering wheat in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. (Source: UN)

However, despite its success in increasing crop production and combatting starvation – so much so that with continued population growth a second revolution is being called for – there are some real issues that should be discussed. This agricultural revolution has caused extensive environmental damage, and a second phase is likely to elevate these changes and propagate them to new parts of the globe. The change in land-use, with a loss of native habitats, is not only of concern in relation to biodiversity loss but also because this affects agricultural production itself. The simplification of ecosystems suppresses the ecological services a biodiverse landscape provides, undermining agriculture. One such example is a degradation of pollination services, with bees of particular significance in this respect.

In short, modern agricultural land-use practices promoted by the Green Revolution may be trading short-term increases in food production for longer-term losses in ecosystem services, some of which are pivotal for the longevity of agricultural production. I very much support the assertion that we cannot continue to acquire and exploit natural resources for immediate human needs at the expense of degrading environmental conditions and ecosystem capacities. Indeed, with population pressures projected to increase, some form of advancement in food production must take place, but such advancement must be conscientious to the natural environment and take a long-term view in assessing the sustainability of any possible changes to land-use.