8.12 ndian onom
2. The Chemical Fertilizers 6. Credit, Storage, Marketing/Distribution
The seeds were to increase productivity provided For farmers to be capable of using the new and the
they got sufficient level of nutrients from the land. costlier inputs of the Green Revolution, availability
The level of nutrients they required could not be of easy and cheaper credit was a must. As the
farmlands suitable for this new kind of farming
supplied with the traditional compostes because
was region-specific (as it was only Haryana, Punjab
they have low concentration of nutrients content
and western Uttar Pradesh in India) storage of the
and required bigger area while sowing—it meant harvested crops was to be done in the region itself
it will be shared by more than one seed. That is till they were distributed throughout the country.
why a high concentration fertilisers, were required, Again, the countries which went for the Green
which could be given to the targeted seed only— Revolution were food-deficient and needed the
the only option was the chemical fertilisers—urea new yield to be distributed throughout the country
(N), phosphate (P) and potash (K).20 and a proper chain of marketing, distribution and
transport connectivity was necessary. All these
3. The Irrigation peripheral infrastructure were developed by the
countries going for the Green Revolution with
For controlled growth of crops and adequate softer loans coming from the World Bank—India
dilution of fertilizers, a controlled means of water being the biggest beneficiary.22
supply was required. It made two important
compulsions—firstly, the area of such crops imPAct of the green revolution
should be at least free of flooding and secondly, The Green Revolution had its positive as well as
artificial water supply should be developed.21 negative socio-economic and ecological impacts
on the countries around the world, we will
4. Chemical Pesticides and Germicides specially study India here.
As the new seeds were new and non-acclimatised 1. Socio-economic Impact
to local pests, germs and diseases than the
Food production increased in such a way (wheat
established indigenous varieties, use of pesticides
in 1960s and rice, by 1970s) that many countries
and germicides became compulsory for result-
became self-sufficient (self sufficiency of food must
oriented and secured yields. not be confused with the idea of food security) and
some even emerged as food exporting countries.
5. Chemical Herbicides and Weedicides
But the discrepancy in farmers’ income, it
To prevent costlier inputs of fertilisers not being brought with itself increased the inter-personal
consumed by the herbs and the weeds in the as well as inter-regional disparities/inequalities in
farmlands, herbicides and weedicides were used India.23 Rise in the incidence of malaria due to
while sowing the HYV seeds. water-logging, a swing in the balanced cropping
patterns in favour of wheat and rice putting pulses,
20. This made it compulsory to use highly concentrate
chemical fertilizers, pushing the traditional organic 22. Publication Division, India 2002 (New Delhi;
fertilizers (i.e., composte) out of fashion. Government of India, 2013).
21. his was the reason why the was implemented firstly 23. See Various volumes of the Economic Surveys,
in the rainfall deficient regions of ndia, i.e., Haryana, specially 1985–86 to 1994–86 to 1994–95, published
Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh. by the Government of India.