Climate-smart agriculture: the solution to a second green revolution? Tamsyn Dawson looks to the Green Revolution of the 1960s to evaluate the impact of new agricultural revolutions in response to climate change.
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t is estimated that two billion lives saved two billion people from starvawere saved by the increases in crop tion, especially in South East Asia and yields from the Green Revolution. Such sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural inHerculean feats will be required again tensification resulted in 12-13% inin order to tackle the looming disrup- crease in food supply in developing tion to agriculture from climate countries, without which, global food prices would have been 18-66 % higher change. The Green Revolution began in 2000 than they actually were. As influential as the green rein the 1960s with Norman Borlaug, who developed new types of wheat volution was, it was not without conThe shift from plants. Whilst he was able to create sequences. plants with more grain, the extra conventionally grown varieties to weight frequently caused the "In a time where climate stalks to collapse, ruining the harvest. To counter this, Borlaug change poses a real threat to bred these plants with sturdier the agriculture industry, a dwarf varieties in order to create second green revolution is high-yielding varieties (HYVs). HYVs produce a large amount of currently needed to protect grain while remaining upright farmers and their lands." under the increased load. The FAO state of food and agriculture report for 2003-2004 indicated a HYVs resulted in a loss of genetic di200% increase in yield from the 1960s, versity and a high dependency on ferprimarily due to increased yields per tilisers, pesticides, and permanent hectare rather than increased land cul- water supply. Without these, HYVs produce less than traditional varieties. tivated. The concept of genetic im- Such inputs pollute the environment, provement was used by the Interna- reduce biodiversity, and can unsustaintional Rice Research Centre (IRRI) in ably deplete groundwater supplies. Adthe late 1960s to increase rice yield by ditionally, these requirements are not 109% in developing countries. Sub- always attainable or affordable for subsequently, HYVs of many crops were sistence farmers who grow crops developed. This is thought to have primarily to feed their family. Mean-
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