Green technology revolution and modern applications

Technology is Necessary in Farming, but with Socio-Political Change Too

The world's hunger problem is by far the most exasperating problem we as a human race face. There simply are no simple solutions. In textbook examples of economic theory rearing its ugly and callous head, any artificial "solution" to the world's hunger problem that runs contrary to efficiency models eventually fails and falls flat on its face.

Much hope was placed in the so-called "Green Revolution." This revolution involved not guns and political overthrows, but a concerted infusion of technology and chemicals into agriculture on a global level. (Rosset, 1) The idea behind the revolution was to combat the problem of poverty by drastically increasing the supply of food worldwide.

Unfortunately, that is all that has happened everywhere in the world except in China. (ibid) The supply of food, especially, for instance, basics like grain, has risen astronomically, but the food simply is not finding its way into the poor and hungry's mouths.

Much has been made of the failure of the Green Revolution, but in reality, it was not given a chance to work. The issue of China speaks directly to this failure and the reason for the failure. Hunger has been cut in China by a shocking 75% (Rossett, 5) and experts are racing to discover exactly how this happened. China implemented the Green Revolution, too, but it coincided with an actual Revolution: The assumption among academics, then, is that some combination of technology and chemicals in agriculture and actual socio-economic and political change resulted in a drastic reduction in the hunger levels.

This model needs to be plumbed in other situations and nations that are suffering from hunger. In India, for instance, the Green Revolution has resulted in an overwhelming abundance and surplus of food, most of which rots away in government silos.

Indian leaders must experiment with different socio-economic changes - perhaps, for instance, a better reaction to the remnants and shadows of the caste system - that will result in a more equal distribution of wealth among the nation's people. At this point, the Green Revolution's production of an abundance of food only affects the wealthy: They are able to buy even more food, and the poor continue to have no money or access to the food.

A concerted effort to implement Green Revolution methods of increasing the yield on farms through technology and chemicals must be balanced by socio-economic change that allows the nations' poorest to benefit as well. However, this process must be balanced against the environmental hazards posed by Green Revolution farming strategies. As farmers and scientists alike have reported, the chemicals used to increase production are harming the land irrevocably, especially in comparison to alternative organic farming and more eco-conscious farming methods.