Strategies to increase food productionThe Green Revolution: Punjab case study

StarterWhat does this graph suggest about the Green

Revolution?

Learning Objectives

• To understand how the Green Revolution increased food supply in the Punjab, India.

• To be able to critically evaluate the pros and cons of the Green Revolution.

A package of modern, western-style farming techniques used to transform agriculture in developing

countries.

What is the Green Revolution?

It’s aims:• A technological fix to increase yields of staple foods,

feed the world, and prove Malthus wrong.• Ending subsistence farming and replacing it with

commercial farming. • Increasing self-sufficiency of LEDCs.

Read the text about the development of the Green Revolution and use the words below to fill in the gaps.

Activity: How did the Green Revolution occur?

Annotate/highlight your information sheet as we go through the slides.

The Green Revolution in India

Background:• In 1943, the worst recorded

food disaster occurred in India, known as the Bengal famine.

• Four million people died of starvation in eastern India alone, largely due to a shortfall in food production.

The Green Revolution in IndiaBackground continued:• Consequently, food security became one of the main

items on ‘free’ India’s agenda.• By 1964 many farmers in India were short of food,

lacked a balanced diet and had an extremely low standard of living.

• The government had limited resources and decided to try to improve farm technology to overcome the crisis.

Label Punjab on your map and add notes to it.

• The Punjab is a state in north-western India, straddling the border between India and Pakistan.

• It is known as the ‘land of the five rivers’ and thought to be one of the most fertile places in the world.

Case study focus: Punjab, India

Strategies to increase food supply in Punjab

1. Continued expansion of farming areas• The area of land under

cultivation had been increasing since 1947, but it was not enough in meeting rising demand.

• Instead of one crop season per year, there would be two crop seasons per year.

• Artificial ‘monsoon’ in the form of huge irrigation projects.

2. Double-cropping existing farmland

Strategies to increase food supply in Punjab

• 18,000 tonne of Mexican HYV wheat seeds were imported.

• The Indian Council for Agricultural Research developed new strains of HYV seeds, mainly wheat and rice, but also millet and corn. K68 variety of wheat is most noteworthy.

3. Using seeds with superior genetics

Strategies to increase food supply in Punjab

• Large amounts of fertiliser were imported.• Tractors were introduced to replace water buffalo.

4. Technologies were developed

Strategies to increase food supply in Punjab

1. Describe the impact of the Green Revolution between 1960 and 1970.

2. Compare the experience of rich landowners compared to small farmers.

Impacts of the Green Revolution in Punjab

1960 1970Land irrigated by tube wells

Fertiliser application

Area under HYVs (ha)

Wheat yields kg/ha

Tractors

35

19.7

69

1552.3

500

70

271.3

169,972

3676.3

2500-5000

Prep

Evaluate the successes and failures of the Green Revolution.

1. Read the information in the table categorise the advantages/disadvantages into social, economic and environmental.

2. Use this information, classwork and pages 214-215 in your text book to answer the two exam questions.