Strategies to increase production include:
1. The Green Revolution - This is a term used to describe the transformation of agriculture in poorer parts of the world from the late 1960s. It involved the intensification of production. The key characteristics of this approach included the development of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds such as IR8 rice (this produced yields up to ten times that of traditional rice). Theses HYVs required the use of large inputs of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. The farming operation was also mechanised using machinery to replace much of the labour and farm size was increased to make more profitable plots. Irrigation schemes were also developed, often involving the building of dams and reservoirs, to provide the new HYV crops with sufficient water.
a. Start with finding out about Borlaug (watch the clip) and reading pages 214 and 215 in your textbook.
b. List the characteristic features of the Green Revolution
c. complete this table and question use this handout and these links to help you...
Disadvantages - scroll towards the end for info on farmers in the Punjab
BBC world service -
Read this 4 page report - Green Revolution: Curse or Blessing?
2. Genetic Modification
In the news... New EU rules
read pages 215 and 216 then follow the links below in order to:
a. Provide a minimum of five examples of the ways in which plants/animals have been genetically modified.
b. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of GM as a strategy to increasing food supply. (write this as a 15mark question)
The New Scientist's website is a good place to start
In the news...]
Questions over yields, pesticide use and human and animal health have not been fully resolved, Report Oct 2011
Blight-resistant GM potatoes field trial begins
The Guardian has a collection of GM reports - including this: increase in pests as a result of GM cotton in China?
Some examples:
Scientists have genetically modified sweet corn so that it produces a poison which kills harmful insects. This means the farmer no longer needs to fight insects with insecticides.
What have Greenpeace got to say?
Hazards of GM crops
The UK Government - GM is safe
Monsanto - obviously all for GM! EXTENSION: Read this article from The Economist - a briefing on Monsanto - great example for the power of TNCs, Geopolitics, Environmental Issues and techniques to increse food supplies.
3. Land Colonisation and Land Reform
Land Colonisation - the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia - cleared for Palm Oil Plantations - Guardian Report
4. Commercialisation
Watch the Green Bean video clip again! Kenyan Green Beans - Iceland volcano and its impact.
It isn't just Kenya - A large scale wheat project funded by the Canadians in Tanzania and its limitiations -watch
5.Appropriate/Intermediate Technology Solutions
Visit the Practical Action website - find out who they are and choose some examples of how they have used appropriate technology to help farmers in poorer countries.