The Effects of the Green Revolution on the Punjabi Soils of India

Genetic engineering is already providing a more stable solution for agricultural production in the economy to stand on. In nine years (i.e. 1996-2005), profits from genetically modified crops were twenty-seven billion dollars. Those twenty-seven billion dollars were not just in the United States or countries like it, but the profits almost split half and half between first and third world countries (O'Neill 19). In India, for example, cotton yields have jumped to one hundred-fifty percent from the use of genetically modified crops, vastly increasing the farmers’ profits (19). The planting of these crops can really help farmers know what they are going to make every year and plan accordingly. Also, helping the farmers’ expenses is the lack of chemical pesticides needed on the crops and reducing time spent using the pricey traditional breeding methods (Mannion and Morse 749-751). Even if genetically modified crops are not planted in every field, adjoining fields can benefit due to the “halo effect.” The “halo effect” is the ability of pest protection on the genetically modified crops to affect the non-genetically modified crops due to the lack of insects in the genetically modified field (754). Genetically modified crops affect the economy in a positive way and should be seen as a smart

Since the beginning of the Human Race, gathering a sufficient amount of food has always proved to be a challenge. The Green Revolution attempted to solve this problem by creating and applying new techniques and technologies. The Green Revolution was created out of necessity and caused social changes, discontent with some of the effects, and the overall quality of living to be improved but the improvement of living quality had the greatest effect because this led to higher overall populations which in turn created the need to feed an even greater population.

GMOs are extremely effective in increasing crop yields a tremendous amount. One good example of this is the green revolution, which took place during the 1960s and 1970. During this time, farmers started using hybrid seeds and pesticides far more heavily than ever before. Biologist Paul Ehrlich predicted that by the 1970s, the US will have stopped sending India food aid, and that hundreds of millions of people will have died of hunger. The hybrid seeds, between 1970 and 1995, improved production speeds by two-thirds, and saved an estimated billion people from starvation. The use of

Secondly, increased shelf life of genetically modified foods will enable it to be shipped to distant locations and cut costs as well as minimize waste to consumers. These foods are modified to be pesticide and herbicide tolerant, resulting in less use of chemical sprays; reducing soil contamination and pollution. In addition, genetically modified crops are more resilient, weather tolerant and capable of surviving in adverse climates such as droughts and extremely cold weather (Whitman, 2000).

Genetic Engineering has a multiplicity of uses in agriculture. It can be utilized to increase crop output, resistance to pest and diseases, and enhanced growing conditions. Sagoff states “Genetic engineers can help peasant societies by engineering plants and animals to stand up to the challenges of local conditions, such as blights that affect yams and other traditional crops” (14). The article “Biotechnology and Agriculture: The Common Wisdom and Its Critics.” by Sagoff. Discusses how genetic manipulation of crops would be of major benefit in developing countries, primarily because said countries can 't grow enough food to suffice the populous. Genetic manipulation of plants can make food easier to grow in these countries.

For the last several decades, the world has been plagued by widespread starvation and poverty. Economies are failing in numerous countries, and developing nations struggle to feed their inhabitants. As a result of the world’s mounting overpopulation, food has become scarce and resources are rapidly dwindling. However, modern science has provided a solution: agricultural biotechnology. Genetically engineered crops represent the bright future of agriculture. Crops like cotton, corn, and soybeans can have genes inserted or deleted into their cell membranes; this modification facilitates pest and virus resistance, drought tolerance, and even provides nutritional enhancement. Genetically altered crops produce much higher

“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life” (Wendell Berry). This quote highlights the importance of the soil as the all-encompassing bridge between life and death and how vital it is to us, especially when it comes to hunting and gathering and growing the food we need to survive. Why change something that works? The agricultural revolution was a great tragedy in the history of the world, bringing about bodily changes, health defects and diseases, and a disparity of the sexes.

The Green Revolution was created by Norman Borlaug who was a scientist that specialized in agriculture. The Green Revolution began when Borlaug found a way to make a wheat plant resident to diseases which allowed the wheat plant to grow bigger and better in the 1940's. Which was amazing, however the Green Revolution has its downfalls. A positive of The Green Revolution is the increase in crop production. The increase in crop production causes a decrease in the amount of world hunger. World hunger is an issue because we are unable to feed our growing population. So if we stop the Green Revolution we would have an increase in world hunger. There would be children that would grow up not knowing where there next meal was or where their next meal

During the 1960s, there was a “sharp increase” in crop production which came to be known as the Green Revolution. This increase in crop yields was due to the advancements in plant breeding and the use of modern agricultural techniques. The Green Revolution intended to increase the food supply in order to reduce the risk of famine (intended outcome 1), and with the surplus they were able to export the excess (intended outcome 2). However, there were also some unintended outcomes. Two of these were salinization, and the artificial fertilizers that were used harmed the

Instead of yelling “stop” and “no,” Brand says that Greens should be in full support of such technology. Instead of selecting for traits in genetically modified crops, GE identifies the genes behind the traits to grow crops that require less water, contain more nutrients, grow in harsh conditions, and can be harvested through “no till” methods that avoid plowing and chemicals, and allowing the ground to regenerate faster than before. The success of modified crops has been affirmed more than once by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, stating “there is a moral imperative for making GM crops readily and economically available to people in developing countries who want them.” Brand concludes by encouraging environmentalist to look up and head, and seize the tools available to push Green agendas.

16 million people in our world are currently suffering from undernourishment (FAO, 2012). What if there was a way to remedy this without the unnecessary deaths of masses of people? In the society we now live in, there is. Genetically Engineered Plants are more nutritious, less fatty, and contain fewer pesticides than naturally grown plants. Genetically Engineered Plants are the future of mankind and we, as society, should be advocating for the move towards making them the staple for everyone from proletariat to the bourgeoisie.

To implement Biochemical change there needs to be use of Hybrid seed selection causing increased yields of wheat, rice and maize. Fertilizers are used to increase yield and

One positive that results from genetic engineering are plants are being produced faster, bigger and healthier. In Ending World Hunger, Norman Borlaug explains about how scientists are finding ways to transgenically modify plants to grow faster and larger to produce more food to end world hunger. However, scientists in Los Banos and Zurich have transferred genes into rice to improve quantities of vitamin A, iron, and other micronutrients (488). This process of transgenically modifying plants could end starvation and world hunger altogether. In The Time

Sustainability of rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India has been in focus not only for its role in meeting the county’s food demand, but also for its impact on global food security at large. It is now increasingly felt that this sustainability is at stake, partly due to the staggering growth of productivity, but mostly due to degradation of soil quality. Continuous use of imbalanced fertilizers under intensive rice-wheat cultivation over the years has gradually degraded the soil structure and depleted the organic carbon and nutrient supplying capacity of these soils. The sustainability of yields in rice-wheat rotation in the Indo-Gangetic Plains has been emphasized through maintaining the soil physical quality and organic carbon status (Mandal et al., 2007). Integrated nutrient management practices have come up as viable options in restoring the soil physical structure and chemical fertility, improving the organic matter in soil (Rudrappa et al., 2006; Nayak et al., 2012), and consequently sustaining the system productivity. Application of balanced fertilizers in

There are a lot of questions concerning the policy of genetically modified crops in India, regarding the approach towards the development of economy, the technological impact on the nation and also the relationships between farming and business communities. The supporting parties of Biotechnology in agriculture argue that the genetically modified crops could be the solution to most of the existing problems in the country’s agriculture; opposing parties argue that it could have negative impact on the environment and livelihood of farmers. The policy changes in India on the GM crops were influenced by both the pro and anti GM parties, the approach of both the parties has been similar in many ways through their international