Indian Agricultural: Growth, Generation, Policy & Problem Indian Agricultural | Page 31

Pg.no. 30
Amartya Sen wrote that large historic famines were not caused by decreases in food supply, but by
socioeconomic dynamics and a failure of public action. Economist Peter Bow brick disputes Sen's
theory, arguing that Sen relies on inconsistent arguments and contradicts available information,
including sources that Sen himself cited. Bow brick further argues that Sen's views coincide with that
of the Bengal government at the time of the Bengal famine of 1943, and the policies Sen advocates
failed to relieve the famine.
Quality of diet
Some have challenged the value of the increased food production of Green Revolution agriculture.
Miguel A. Altieri, (a pioneer of agroecology and peasant-advocate), writes that the comparison
between traditional systems of agriculture and Green Revolution agriculture has been unfair, because
Green Revolution agriculture produces monocultures of cereal grains, while traditional agriculture
usually incorporates polycultures.
These monoculture crops are often used for export, feed for animals, or conversion into biofuel.
According to Emile Frison of Bioversity International, the Green Revolution has also led to a change in
dietary habits, as fewer people are affected by hunger and die from starvation, but many are affected
by malnutrition such as iron or vitamin-A deficiencies. Frison further asserts that almost 60% of yearly
deaths of children under age five in developing countries are related to malnutrition.
The strategies developed by the Green Revolution focused on fend off starvation and was very
successful in raising overall yields of cereal grains, but did not give sufficient relevance to nutritional
quality. High yield-cereal crops have low quality proteins, with essential amino acid deficiencies, are
high in carbohydrates, and lack balanced essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and other quality
factors.
High-yield rice (HYR), introduced since 1964 to poverty-ridden Asian countries, such as the
Philippines, was found to have inferior flavour and be more glutinous and less savoury than their
native varieties. This caused its price to be lower than the average market value.
Ramesh Kumar P