PRIMARY ACTIVITIES

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Green Revolution Curse or Blessing?
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A. Development Diffusion of Agriculture

• Three agricultural revolutions
• 1. Neolithic Revolution (12,000 yrs ago) first
  plant animal domestication
• The role of women?
• - female deities
• - women were first to farm
• - 80 of all food eaten in Africa is grown by
  women

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• Second Revolution (I7th-I8th centuries)
  improved methods of cultivation higher yields
  in W. Europe
• - improved tools equipment
• - better soil preparation, fertilization, food
  storage
• - aided by the Industrial Revolution
  mechanization

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• The Green Revolution (1940s-1980s) research
  technology in plant genetics to create new
  higher-yielding grains
• - intensive farming practices
• mechanization, chemicals, biotechnology
• - using genetic engineering scientists in
  Philippines crossed a
• dwarf variety of rice with an Indonesian
  varietyIR8
• - in India Norin 10 strain of wheat developed
• - today, pest resistance genetically infused
  into DNA of plants

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Process known as cereal sex to create hybrids
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B. Why The Green Revolution?

• 1943 world's worst recorded food disaster in
  India
• - Bengal Famine four million died of hunger
• Green Revolutions highest crop yields 1967 to
  1978
• term Green Revolution a general one applied to
  successful agricultural experiments in developing
  countries (India, Mexico, China)

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• Dr. Norman Borlaug
• Father of the Green Revolution

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SUCCESS STORIES

• Northern India
• Sri Landa
• Nepal
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Philippines

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C. Basic methods

• 1) expansion of farming areas
• 2) double-cropping
• 3) genetically engineering crops
• 4) machinery, fertilizers, pesticides,
  herbicides
• Other benefits
• - higher yields of wheat, corn, rice
• - improved appearance of fruits
• - grains used to fatten livestock faster

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D. THE DOWNSIDEFood Security???

• destroyed large tracts
• overuse of chemicals
• excessive salinity
• groundwater depletion
• conflicts over water
• some cannot afford investment
• rural societies disrupted
• effects of genetic modifications???
• effects of cloning???
• sub-Saharan Africa???

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E. Why Not Africa?

• World crops Wheat, Rice, Corn
• Africas most important crops millet sorghum
• Lack of government investment
• Failure to include women

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Rufunsa village, Zambia