• Green Revolution: Boon or Bane?

    8:30 am, 30 May 2017 By Billions in Change

    The green revolution is thought to have produced significant increases in crop production, namely through high-yield crop varieties, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. It is also credited with averting famines in countries such as India.

    At the same time, critics point to the destruction of traditional crop and seed diversity, loss of soil fertility, exploitation of water resources leading to droughts, use of poisonous pesticides that cause sickness and disease among consumers, and increasing indebtedness and incidence of suicides among farmers.

    Should farmers and consumers consider the green revolution as a boon or a bane to their economic and physical well-being? What are your thoughts?

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  • Badri N 8:56 am, 28 Sep 2017

    Famines were quite frequent in India during the world wars and in the decade after independence in 1947. Green Revolution was indeed the need of the hour to achieve self sufficiency in food production.

  • Billy Guthrie 5:18 am, 02 Oct 2017

    At the rate we are going in today’s society, how can one say the green revolution is a bane! A self-sufficient society is what we need today! #GoGreenRevolution

  • xxxxxx0695 8:29 am, 07 Oct 2017

    we ( leaving objects on earth) needs roti, kapda and makaan to survive…lets check what we need most . !. KAPDA…can we survive less clothes or without clothes also….yes adivaasis are best examples …2. MAKAAN…can we survive without makaan , we can manage ..again adivaasis are examples …3. ROTI….. can we survive without FOOD …. NO NO NO …..so according to me farming is
    necessity ….and necessities are never considered in BOON OR BANE category …i m waiting for your call or msg … when i can participate with you people ….pls msg me …. mere liye aapke saath kaam karna bahot garv ke baat hogi …..dillsey aapke msg ka wait kar rahi hoon ….thanks

  • Narender Jhagdoliya 9:03 am, 07 Oct 2017

    I think we should make voluteeries at village level and let them educate the whole village about this idea

  • Madhav Pandit 6:36 am, 08 Oct 2017

    I very much appreciate the efforts taken by Manoj, his team and Hans Foundation… Although I understand that the electricity and water sector technology you people developed will make an impact and I in my own capacity will definitely try to propagate the information… But in agriculture there are so many ifs and buts to be taken care of to ensure economic sustainability…. It is merely impossible to achieve… Changing environment, erratic rains, increasing pest and insects attracts, labour issues and last and most important is the highly un-predictable market.. so many factors are involved and very difficult to control all or provide solution…

    But again I sincerely appreciate your efforts and wish you all the best…

  • Madhav Pandit 6:36 am, 08 Oct 2017

    I very much appreciate the efforts taken by Manoj, his team and Hans Foundation… Although I understand that the electricity and water sector technology you people developed will make an impact and I in my own capacity will definitely try to propagate the information… But in agriculture there are so many ifs and buts to be taken care of to ensure economic sustainability…. It is merely impossible to achieve… Changing environment, erratic rains, increasing pest and insects attracts, labour issues and last and most important is the highly un-predictable market.. so many factors are involved and very difficult to control all or provide solution…

    But again I sincerely appreciate your efforts and wish you all the best…

  • Suraj Naik 7:55 am, 08 Oct 2017

    Today I came across the film showing your effort to change the basic need of the poor people. I am with you. Please contact me. I am working in a organization which believes in doing meaningful CSR activity to the nearby society. We are located in Saurastra region of Gujarat. The ground water is very hard with TDS 3000 to 5000. Your innovation could be life changer for this region. Waiting for your reply.

    Thanks and Regards…

  • Vinod Sankar 8:24 am, 08 Oct 2017

    The following factors that had a significant role in Indian famines are not very well known or discussed widely.

    This is based on conversations with those more knowledgeable than myself in this subject matter.

    Factor #1:
    When significant parts of India were colonised by Britain, large tracts of agricultural lands were diverted from growing food crops (millets, rice, wheat etc) to growing cash crops (cotton, tobacco etc) which could earn a profit for the coloniser.

    2. Factor #2:
    During world wars 1 & 2, the coloniser (Britain in this case) would divert food supplies from colonies such as India, to places where it could support its war effort.

    Factor #3:
    A decade or so after independence, agricultural land ceiling acts were enacted in India in order to effect land parcel transfers from the landed to non-land-owning classes. This predictably caused a large-scale, but temporary, disruption in the food supply until things settled down.

    These three factors and the disruptions they caused to the food supply chain, and their role in causing famines in places such as India need to be discussed more widely.

    These three important factors were man-made, and fixable. They were not permanent or irreversible problems.

  • Rufus Roshan 9:54 pm, 08 Oct 2017

    It was indeed the need of the hour then. As the architect of Green Revolution Mr. M.S Swaminathan recently said that we need an “evergreen revolution” today. So its time our Government takes macro steps in promoting natural/organic fertilizers. They must also stop the subsidy given to chemical fertilizers compelling farmers to go for organic alternatives.

  • Babu Rao 10:11 am, 09 Oct 2017

    We need to do everything possible to ensure that farmers have continued interest in taking up farming and it is sustainable for them to make a living. With so many uncertfainities there existenace is in danger if you consider no of people committing suicide. in city if some one in IT s laid off even with huge severance package media makes a big issue. Here are those angels who toil for a meagere incomem throught their life to feed us . They do not buy audi, mercedez, do not build 4 bhk, house and send their children to international schools. still they smile when they small income. whatever you people are doing will tive them confidence that farming is sustainable. The dat farmers loose hope we all can say good buy to this planet. AI will not give food. I am more than happy to be part of your organisation in serving in whatever manner and take your dreams to across many places in india . my email and mobile nos are [email protected] and 9632255466

  • vaibhav negi 5:04 pm, 09 Oct 2017

    Definately it’ll be a boon ,as use of manure will be positively promoted due to enhanced knowledge of farmers (easy formation and access to manure),and promote use of manure and reducing chemical and toxic fertilizers.

  • Vikram K 6:43 pm, 09 Oct 2017

    In brief,the economy is the total outcome of the actions and decisions taken by it’s citizen’s, each citizen has their role in the pyramid of economy. What a farmer or a consumer will do if Central and State government allow GMO seeds grown on radioactive and toxic chemicals in the food chain ? moreover now a days marketing has become a very productive tool to brainwash people and control their decision making based on data collected through algorithms.
    The genetic mutations leads to major health challenges, India has alarming rate of suicides, mental disorders and cancer cases.
    It’s time that India must pass “one child policy bill’ asap, controlling the population is the root solution to resolve major bottlenecks in India’s economy.

  • DEEPAK CHOUDHARY 6:33 am, 10 Oct 2017

    mostly farmers consider this as a boon cause ; they r not aware of its consiquencies they only want more nd more production nd therefore using large quantity of chemical fertilizers , which cost them expensive , nd affects the healt of other people nd their as well. so there is need to provide them which can stop this, compost would be the best alternative to chemical fertilizers.

  • Ashish Gupta 5:54 am, 11 Oct 2017

    This is real innovation “solving real life problems in a practical way”. It touches the lives of those who have been feeding us, but have been deprived of these basic needs. Focused approach needed to ensure that these can be taken to grass-root. It would give me deep satisfaction if i could participate in taking these technologies to masses.

  • Garsett Larosse 9:48 pm, 13 Oct 2017

    Indian farmers are the victims of the chemical industrial complex that only wants to make lots of money and that alienates them from the benefits of all natural farming. Manoj’s team and the HANS Foundation have understood this well and are addressing the core issue here. I pray to God that he will not be murdered by some dark forces that want to keep the world addicted to dangerous chemicals.

  • Ravi Khurana 6:39 am, 15 Oct 2017

    We undertook Green Reveloution without taking the long term impact. In short term it may have helped but ruined the farmers and the society. Let us now correct the mistakes and work towards healthy methods.

  • mark pillai 6:20 am, 23 Oct 2017

    my name is Mark Pillai from South Africa, of Indian origins, 4th generation, my great grandparents ‘INDENTURED LABOURERS’ That left india in the 1860’s farming for the colonisers Sugar cane, one set of my grandparents were sustainable farmers, i now volunteer full time for a humanitarian org, in SA, i saw Mr Mr Manoj’s documentary on NDTV and am very fascinated by his vision, some of the products on that show is what is required in South Africa, would love to engage and see how we can do the same in SA

  • GULAB KHAMBAYAT 12:04 pm, 26 Oct 2017

    Need to educate farmers about use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides because many of them are getting seriously infected and sometimes loosing there lives while using.

  • Piyush Yadav 7:06 pm, 29 Oct 2017

    Alternatives to the industrial fertilizers have been in talk for a long time in India. As the fertilizers are costlier and do harm the soil, they should be avoided. But they are still in use due to lack of practical alternatives. The cow dung manure being proposed to be the best alternate is suspected to fail as the cow population (the cow dung produce) is not sufficient to fullfill the needs. The best alternate I can think of is Subhash Patekar’s Zero Budget Natural Farming Technique which I think has already been implemented in Tamil Nadu and has shown some positive results.

  • Heran darji 3:07 pm, 03 Nov 2017

    Green revolution indeed was the answer to the problems of the time post independence for India, especially for food security. However, over reliance on one technology for years with evident problem of salinity, need for fertilizers and effects on the health of people and environment has clouded the positive effects #AnythingInExcessIsPoison
    It was more like a short term solution used and then later abused over decades only to realize the fact that greener technologies closer and in-sync with nature is the only sustainable way ahead for future. #NotEverytingThatShinesIsGold

    I believe, there is no magic bullet to solve the issues involved in agricultural practices, it would require to create a database of technologies and sustainable practices which could be personalized and customized with ease and ready for implementation. A million way towards billions in change!

  • Ajay Ganjoo 4:02 am, 04 Nov 2017

    I have a different idea
    Agriculture industry
    yes industry which was never considered profitable.
    Reason bad weather and no financing with insurance if we work on these three factors this industry will be the best and profitable too

  • Gorakhpur Final Report 9:01 am, 22 Feb 2018

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  • LN REddy 4:30 pm, 05 Apr 2018

    GREEN REVELUTION: a curse on Indian Farmer, Consumer and as a whole on Indian Agriculture sector. It has systematically killed our soils, farmers and slowly killing the consumers with dangerous diseases like Diabetes, Heart Ailments and Cancers. This so called revolution has slowly taking out the village centred economy (decentralized) to corporate sector and even MNCs which is basically a centralized and controlled by few heads. Here is the ground reality:
    1. As a beginning, land preparation is the most important for any cropping. In nowadays so-called advanced agriculture age it’s purely by tractors which are not affordable by our small and marginal farmer in India. I would say bullock based land preparation is nowhere seen now like a decade or two ago. These heavy machines has made our soils so hard that it has no life left in it. No water withholding capacity anymore, no microbes exists anymore. Deep ploughing has killed our farmer friendly earthworms and many more. Now if you observe our soils are LIFELESS things not anymore LIVING.
    2. Seed: Seed is a base for any crop and is a boon by god. With the advancement of Agri universities and MNCs you nowhere see local/indigenous seeds any more. Every farmer has to shell out 20-30% of expenses on seeds now and which is for every crop every year. All the seed companies are managed by corporates/MNCs, Ex: Mansanto, Singenta, Cargill, Bayer etc. With the advancement of these Hybrid varieties which Agri universities and Seed companies claim that they are better/best in yielding, at the same time it has limitless diseases and pests are attracted by these foreign varieties. There is the significant role of corporate and MNCs again in form of Pesticides. If you observe the diseases and pests are hundred times more now than what we had a before green revolution. I have a best example for it: Bayer is one of the big companies who is selling Cotton seeds in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states. Exactly by the time cotton fields reach to flowering stage, they spent crores of rupees on advertisements of Bayer’s pesticides in Televisions especially during prime times like between 06.30 – 07.30 AM and 07.00 PM to 9.30 PM. How does the Bayer know what pests are attacked to the Telangana and AP’s cotton fields.???
    3. Fertilizers: Indian soils were once regarded as most fertile lands having Organic Carbon of > 3.0%. The synthetic/chemical fertilizers has systematically killed health and fertility of our soils. Nowhere you can see indigenous earthworms in our soils now. Our organic carbon levels are reached to a dangerous levels of 0.25%. Our soils are becoming hard and eroding/washing out by rains thus becoming more infertile. If we had our farmer friends (earthworms), they keep boring the land these small pore take the water in to the soil than washing out, thus earthworms keep soil moisture levels up.

    To make the life of farmers more worst, our agriculture universities/scientist say: you have to increase the input of fertilizers to keep up the yielding, which is increasing the farmers investment on cropping and making less revenue/returns. Losses are driving farmers towards suicides (can you imagine the pain behind why someone wanted to kill him/herself).

    Villages of Punjab (as per statistics Punjab is most advanced state in adopting the green revolution) has more number of Cancer patients. Even this cancer has spread it’s wings to remote villages of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala too…..the only culprit for this is Pesticides and Chemical fertilizers.

    Answers to all these is go back to our Roots, how our ancestors were practising the agriculture. How good they were interns of health and stamina. So it’s now or never situation that we have to move towards Natural forming, which is basically improve our health of soils, use no hybrid seeds (which attract pests and diseases), avoid usage of chemical fertilizers, stop usage of dangerous pesticides. Focus on indigenous and local crops of that region. Avoid mono cropping methods. Avoid usage of heavy machinery for forming.

    Government’s Role: Unfortunately our governments are sharing the equal pie in bringing the agri sector to today’s situation. Some of the state Govt are interested on doling out the subsidies on foreign seeds, Chemical fertilizers and Pesticides. Govts are least bothered when it comes to minimum market price for agriculture produces. No leader has capacity to understand the present day plight of Farmer and Agriculture sector. We need a strong , courageous and well educated/knowledge leadership to take our agriculture sector towards the sustainable and healthy direction. Unfortunately we have very few leaders with these qualities. One person I have seen such vision and qualities in recent days is Shri Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister of Agriculture, Govt of Karnataka. He recently helped in organizing a mela on Millets and healthy foods which was huge successes, he was the one and only Minister who was roaming like a free bird with no security personnel nor any supporters in Mela.

    Worth mentioning about the Sikkim our North East state who has declared ban of using chemical fertilizers and Pesticides. First state in India to take such a big and great step.

    Fortunately we have plenty of good people who are working towards the cause of Farmers. To name a few: Shri Subhash Palekar father of ZBNF, Dr Khader Vali Millet Man of India & Father of Kadu Krushi, Shri GV Ramanjineyulu of CSA.

  • reda carr 6:23 pm, 16 Apr 2018

    Chemicals and pesticides, as well as GMOs are failed to yeild the highest benevolent outcomes in comparison to permaculture and a respectful, natural, wholistic symbiosis among humans and earth. We will get there. Thank you BIC for all you do . I am truely grateful! I am at your service. This TedEx video shows how to use plasma to make water that is infused with plasma which is a great pesticide. https://youtu.be/vDcQhkt3-L0?t=411

  • Harry Reynolds 12:10 pm, 17 Jul 2018

    I would like to have this kind of farming in my country Ghana West Africa. I can I get in touch with the organization. I really want to help agriculture in Ghana

  • Subhash Kumar 4:48 am, 13 Nov 2018

    the primary improvement become higher-yielding types of wheat, for growing rust resistant traces of wheat. The creation of high-yielding sorts(HYV) of seeds and the increased fine of fertilizers and irrigation technique led to the growth in manufacturing to make the usa self-enough in food grains, as a result enhancing agriculture in India. I do no longer consider tax on agriculture profits, considering that agriculture is the most important source of livelihood for over 50% of our populace. it’s far a livelihood enterprise with multiple influences on human lifestyles. There could be different techniques of taxing rich farmers with multiple resources of the profits. Get more data from https://123gst.com and move on.