This semester, I’m taking an Environmental Development class focused on the development of Asia, South America, and Africa. I recently gave a presentation on the Green Revolution of India. The Green Revolution was a movement enacted from 1967 to 1978. Delayed as it may have been, it came about in response to the Bengal Famine of 1943.
Under the colonization of the British, Indians’ food supply was pushed to the backburner behind World War II hysteria. Over 4 million people starved to death. After the immediate effects of the famine subsided, farmers attempted to overhaul their land. Futile attempts at revamping the existing farming lands continually failed. Finally, nearly 25 years later, the government took action.
Three major steps were taken to start the ball rolling in the right direction for India: new farm land, double cropping, and agricultural Innovation in the laboratory. The new farm land was great and all, but it wasn’t enough. That land had to be double cropped. One monsoon per year in the past had been the major source of irrigation for India, but in order to yield more food to feed an ever increasing population, an artificial monsoon had to be feigned. Scientists had to work diligently to make faster growing, more resilient seeds to give to farmers. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research, which had been neglected by the British after its formation in 1929, was reestablished and put into action. This innovation truly saved the Green Revolution, India claims.
Between 1978 and 1979, India produced an all time high 131 million tons of food. That’s a lot, right? WRONG. Still, India has the highest poverty rate in the world, with 421 million people living below the poverty line. There’s a “safety net” that India has set up to subsidize food for those in poverty and promise schooling to children where they are given free lunch. However, some families slip through the cracks and are not able to collect these benefits.
The Green Revolution is sometimes called India’s greatest accomplishment after acquiring independence from Britain. It was so effective, they said very matter of factly, that in the early 80s, Indian farmers were sent by request of the Canadian government to North America to teach them their methods and techniques for more sustainable, higher yielding farming. But only two of India’s states were really given the funding and scientific support needed to be dramatically changed by the revolution: those who already had the highest level of capital. So after all of this hard work and money were spent on reform, only a very small percentage of India really saw any change.
With population growth and a motivational decline in efforts to keep India’s agriculture on top, things have plateaued for them. It’s time to reevaluate another shot at revolution. This time, support should be for all states and all people. Less capital should be flooded into national programs and pesticide/deforestation sprees, and instead plugged into communities to make them self sufficient, giving them the tools they need to provide for themselves. The technology is there. The resources are available. But taking the extra effort to connect with the people who really need a revolution – the impoverished farmers and declining communities – is the next big step India needs to take.
TS Designs works hard to provide such a model for our North Carolina neighborhood. We utilize state of the art technology to better benefit our business, our customers, awareness of issues linked to our line of work, and the earth. We make the most of our property by coexisting as close as we can with nature, working to doing our part to sustain the symbiosis. However, the most important lesson any developing environmental revolution could take away from TS Designs is our story. By making local changes and inspiring change nationwide, we are active in the movement towards a sustainable business, community, and future. As always, we thank you for your support in our mission.
Peace, love & t-shirts,
Natalie