Green Revolution Technology and Some Environmental Issues: A Note from Indian Experience

Although beneficial effects of green revolution have been well publicized, all estimates of macroeconomic costs associated with it have come out with rather modest figures. One does not have to go far to seek the reasons. Productivity augmenting effects of green revolution hove far outpaced the environmental hazards posed by it. This view shared by a majority of researchers emanates from the fact that environmental studies were not in a developed state when the green revolution made its appearance. The present study adopts a completely different view in the sense that it believes future increases in productivity are conditioned by environmental depletion carried out today. The first dose of fertiliser applied to land leads to a net increase in productivity. But subsequent doses erode soil fenility and to overcome this effect higher doses of fertilisers may be necessary. Thus, costs of cultivation are likely to increase. Overuse of pesticides posed health hazards to human beings, as well as, to plant life in general. If one takes into account these productivity-reducing effects the green revolution might lose much of its shine.