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Feeding the World: The Green Revolution and Beyond

Explore the impact of the Green Revolution in addressing world hunger, the rise of high-yield crops, benefits, criticisms, solutions, the Blue Revolution in aquaculture, and the challenges of desertification globally, particularly in Africa.

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Feeding the World: The Green Revolution and Beyond

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  1. How can all of the people in the world be fed????????????? Created by Ms. Smith

  2. The Green Revolution • The introduction and rapid spread of high yield wheat and rice. This was achieved by crossing of the different strains of major food crops to greater and larger yields that were more resistant to drought and disease. • When: mid 1960’s • Purpose: To meet the food needs of the developing world.

  3. The Results…. • Led to greater grain and rice production • higher food outputs for LDC’s • Self-sufficiency for some countries (Pakistan-wheat exporter, India-11 m tonnes to 27 m tons from 1965 to 1972, Mexico- double wheat yields, Philippines and Indonesia-rice previously imported) • Planting dates more flexible • Early maturity, multiple cropping

  4. Criticisms of the Green Revolution • Rich farmers have the resources for fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation water, machinery, storage and transportation (gap between rich and poor farmers widen) • Colour, texture and tastes of new rice not well received. • More difficult to raise output of rice with biotechnology, due to precise water control. • high yield varieties more costly to produce • Many HYVs require more labour than the traditional counterparts (irrigation and fertilization) • Contamination of watersheds by nitrates and phosphates, long term destroyed soil • Loss of biodiversity-4 strains of wheat produce 3/4 of Canada’s crop. • If farmers only rely on a few strains of a plant, a new disease can wipe out a large portion of the harvest

  5. FACT • Some African countries import wheat due to the trend to consume “western foods”. Also, it is cheaper because governments have kept down the price of imported cereals. Thus, local farmers produce CASH CROPS for export rather than food crops for local consumption.

  6. Solutions… • Maintain genetic Banks where seeds from a great diversity of plants can be frozen and stored. • Control population • Genetically modified foods (GM) • Get from the Sea………..The Blue Revolution

  7. The Blue Revolution • Modern technology has allowed us to obtain food from the sea in many fish varieties • increased seventeen fold in the last fifty years • Aquaculture, or the growing or harvesting of marine plants and animals for human consumption, is predicted to overtake the traditional wild fishery

  8. What it can do… • Protein source for the one billion chronically malnourished people worldwide • Relieve pressure on land

  9. Concerns • Exploitation of the traditional wild fishery • Boundary disputes • Aquaculture destroys land along coasts • Water pollution • Wetland loss • Spread of disease

  10. Desertification….What is It???? • Land degradation in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas due to: • Over cultivation • Overgrazing • Deforestation • Poor irrigation practices • Changing lifestyles

  11. Problems associated with desertification… • Irregular precipitation can lead to drought (drier than average rainfall) • Populations in these areas used the methods of shifting agriculture and nomadic herding to respond to these challenges but, • changing economic and political circumstances, population growth, and a trend towards more settled communities has increased desertification

  12. The Earth's drylands are found in more than 110 nations, and moderate to severe land degradation has reduced the productivity of more than 70% of these areas..

  13. Levels of degradation in the world

  14. Consequences… • reduces the land’s resilience to natural climate variability. • Soil becomes less productive • Vegetation becomes damaged or lost • Some of the consequences are borne by people living outside the immediately affected area • Food production is undermined • Desertification contributes to famine • Desertification is a huge drain on economic resources

  15. Africa and Desertification • 2/3 of the continent is desert or drylands. The region is affected by frequent and severe droughts. • Many African nations are landlocked, have widespread poverty, need external assistance and depend heavily on natural resources for subsistence • few institutional, legal, scientific, technical and educational resources • linked to migration and food security-Sahel zone (turn to page 122)

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