5.2.7—Green Revolution (1950s-1960s)

The Green Revolution of the 1950s–1960s combined high-yield crop varieties with improved irrigation, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides; the yield change came from the package, not seed alone.

Potential benefits include higher yields and improved food security. Costs can include fossil-fuel dependence in fertilizer production, water demand, salinization, pollution, reduced crop diversity, unequal access to inputs and farmer debt.

A high-yield variety may perform poorly without reliable irrigation and nutrients; adding those inputs can raise production while also shifting environmental and financial risks to farmers and ecosystems.

Evaluate yield and food-security gains together with environmental, economic and sociocultural consequences, noting that the package did not reach every developing nation.

A yield increase does not by itself prove equitable food security or long-term sustainability.