The Green Revolution (College Board AP® Human Geography)
Study Guide
Written by: Kristin Tassin
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
What was the Green Revolution?
The Green Revolution was the spread of new technologies to less developed countries (LDCs) in the 1960s and 1970s, including:
high-yield seeds
chemical fertilizers
The purpose of the Green Revolution was to reduce hunger and famine in the developing world through:
creating resilient crops that would be resistant to drought and pests
producing greater yields of crop per acre
The Green Revolution particularly affected India and Mexico
The Green Revolution focused on creating high-yield plants using hybridization
The use of hybridization resulted in high-yield plants
Hybrid plants were bred to have superior characteristics, such as:
resistance to various insects
shorter growing seasons, which allowed for double cropping
The Green Revolution was also heavily dependent on chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
New agricultural machinery for planting and harvesting was introduced to LDCs, decreasing the need for human labor
The Green Revolution promoted changing irrigation methods, resulting in more efficient and sustainable use of water
Advances in transportation made it easier for LDCs to trade and export crops for a global market
Impacts of the Green Revolution
The Green Revolution had both positive and negative impacts
Positive impacts of the Green Revolution
Higher yields resulted in less starvation and lower death rates
Many places were able to grow more crops on the same amount of land, which decreased food prices
There was an improvement in the variety of crops grown
The increased production reduced dependency on food imports
Countries like Mexico and India became net exporters, rather than importers, of food due to the increased production levels
Negative impacts of the Green Revolution
Capital-intensive farming methods led to the consolidation of large factory farms and the loss of smaller family farms
Less need for manual labor meant fewer women worked in agriculture
It led to the destruction of local land and traditional modes of agricultural production, decreasing biodiversity
There are negative environmental impacts of using chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Irrigation techniques often led to increased soil salinization
Inputs needed for the Green Revolution, including high-yield seeds, mechanized farm equipment, and chemicals were sometimes too expensive for small farmers, resulting in the loss of farms and sometimes lower agricultural yields
In addition, not all regions were included in the Green Revolution
In particular, LDCs in Africa were not included
Worked Example
The AP Exam often asks about the Green Revolution. You should be prepared to discuss its characteristics and effects, both positive and negative, as well as where its effects were most widely felt. Common questions on the AP Exam will look like this:
1. Describe the Green Revolution.
The Green Revolution was a period from roughly the 1950s to the 1980s during which agricultural technologies, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crops, were used to increase food production in less developed countries.
2. Identify and explain the main agricultural technologies associated with the Green Revolution.
Scientists developed high-yield crop varieties of plants, such as wheat and rice, that were bred to produce more product per unit of land than traditional crops. Improved irrigation technology resulted in a more efficient and increased water supply for crops. Pesticides and herbicides were used to prevent crop death from disease or insects. Increased mechanization of agriculture resulted in more production per unit of land.
3. Identify TWO areas of the world where the effects of the Green Revolution were significant.
The Green Revolution was particularly successful in India and Mexico.
4. Explain ONE likely negative effect of the Green Revolution.
Likely negative effects of the Green Revolution included environmental damage and degradation as a result of the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Irrigation techniques often led to increased soil salinization. Many farmers were unable to afford the needed technological inputs, such as mechanized farm equipment and chemicals, and this resulted in loss of family farms or lower yields.
5. Explain ONE likely positive effect of the Green Revolution.
Likely positive effects of the Green Revolution included increased food production and crop surpluses. These surpluses, in turn, resulted in decreased food prices and increased accessibility of food for more people.
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