5.3 The Green Revolution

What was the Green Revolution?

The Green Revolution (mid-1900s) transformed agriculture through high-yield crop varieties, synthetic fertilizers, irrigation, pesticides, and mechanization. It dramatically increased food production, helping feed a rapidly growing global population and preventing widespread famine in countries like India and Mexico.

Benefits of increased yield

Selective breeding and later genetic engineering produced crops resistant to pests and drought with higher yields per acre. This meant less land was needed to grow the same amount of food, reducing pressure to convert forests and grasslands into farmland — a benefit called land sparing.

Environmental costs

Green Revolution methods rely heavily on monoculture (planting a single crop), which reduces biodiversity and increases vulnerability to pests. Heavy fertilizer and pesticide use causes eutrophication, water pollution, and soil degradation. Irrigation can deplete aquifers, and mechanization increases fossil fuel dependence.

Key terms

Green Revolution

A mid-20th century shift to high-yield crop varieties, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, and mechanization that dramatically increased food production.

Monoculture

Growing a single crop species over a large area; increases yield but reduces biodiversity and pest resistance.

Land sparing

Increasing crop yield on existing farmland to reduce the need to convert natural land into agriculture.

Eutrophication

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies (often from fertilizer runoff) causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Environmental costs of the Green Revolution

Includes water pollution, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, aquifer depletion, and increased fossil fuel use.

Try an AP-style question

What was the main outcome of the Green Revolution?

1. An end to fertilizer use
2. Much lower crop yields
3. More diverse local crop varieties
4. Much higher crop yields