Green Revolution = LDC

1
Green Revolution LDC

• 1945-1985

2
What was it?

• Period of rapid changes in agricultural practices
  and technologies resulting in increased
  productivity. All started with RICE!
• Subsistence farming ? Commercial farming
• New strains of crops (HYV) allowed farmers to
  harvest a higher yield.
• Use of selective breeding to create larger ears
  of corn.

3
Technological Advances

• Artificial fertilizer
• Irrigation
• Insecticides and herbicides
• Mechanical machinery
• Combines, tractors
• Hybridization
• Crossbreeding crops to magnify a trait, such as
  disease resistance and frost resistance.

4
Examples of Where it was successful

• Asia
• India
• Philippines
• China
• Vietnam
• Latin America
• Mexico
• Northern Africa

• The Green Revolution
• occurred only in LDCs,
• not in the United States or Europe

5
FACTORS NECESSARY to MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL

• Social
• Middle class farmers
• Education
• Availability of credit, money, banks
• Transportation system (infrastructure)

• Political
• Market economy
• Receptive political environment
• Political Stability
• Cultural
• Acceptance of new crops and practices

6
Obstacles LDCs have to face

• Economic Factors
• Cost of materials (fertilizer, herbicides, fuel)
• Credit unobtainable by certain groups (women,
  minorities)
• Overwhelming debt (to farmers, to governments)
• Global economy
• Availability of funds (ability to take loans to
  purchase equipment, seeds, etc.)

7

• Ecological Factors
• Decline in soil quality (fertility)
• Water pollution
• Finite supply of water
• Water table
• Seasonal droughts
• Climate
• Erosion
• Desertification
• Limited amount of arable land
• Potential loss of biodiversity
• E.g. One crop takes the place of another