Indian Agricultural: Growth, Generation, Policy & Problem Indian Agricultural | Page 32

Pg.no. 31
In the Philippines the introduction of heavy pesticides to rice production, in the early part of the Green
Revolution, poisoned and killed off fish and weedy green vegetables that traditionally coexisted in rice
paddies. These were nutritious food sources for many poor Filipino farmers prior to the introduction of
pesticides, further impacting the diets of locals.
Socioeconomic impacts
The transition from traditional agriculture, in which inputs were generated on-farm, to Green
Revolution agriculture, which required the purchase of inputs, led to the widespread establishment of
rural credit institutions. Smaller farmers often went into debt, which in many cases results in a loss of
their farmland. The increased level of mechanization on larger farms made possible by the Green
Revolution removed a large source of employment from the rural economy. Because wealthier
farmers had better access to credit and land, the Green Revolution increased class disparities, with
the rich–poor gap widening as a result. Because some regions were able to adopt Green Revolution
agriculture more readily than others (for political or geographical reasons), interregional economic
disparities increased as well. Many small farmers are hurt by the dropping prices resulting from
increased production overall. However, large-scale farming companies only account for less than 10%
of the total farming capacity. This is a criticism held by many small producers in the food sovereignty
movement.
The new economic difficulties of small holder farmers and landless farm workers led to increased
rural-urban migration. The increase in food production led to a cheaper food for urban dwellers, and
the increase in urban population increased the potential for industrialization.
According to a 2018 paper, a 10 percentage points increase in the use of high-yielding crop varieties
in developing countries in the period 1960-2000 led to increases in GDP per capita of approximately
15 percent.
Environmental impact
Ramesh Kumar P