NPR just aired a story about the end of the Green Revolution in India. The quick summary is that India’s farmers used to live in much the same way as their ancestors, eking out a living from the soil; starvation was a looming problem for India’s growing population, and the “American” farming methods promised a solution. It required the use of genetically modified seeds, the application of pesticides, and the use of motorized farm equipment. The results were that some of the yields exploded, but there was a catch: the genetically modified crops required more water. The promise of the Green Revolution has turned out to be something of a Faustian Deal or a Trojan Horse. It may have taken 40 years for this to become obvious, but the dropping water table in India should be a testament to how the “modern” farming methods are not sustainable; not only are they not sustainable, they may have permanently damaged the land. The collapse of India’s breadbasket should be seen as the canary in the coal mine: if our modern system of agriculture has destroyed India’s ability to feed itself, then certainly other areas are close behind. Read more at NPR’s site:
‘Green Revolution’ Trapping India’s Farmers In Debt