The Green Revolution was hailed as a breakthrough – a solution for world poverty. Yet, it’s record is anything but positive. The Green Revolution refers to a technological package that makes use of seeds with a high response to large applications of inorganic fertilisers and chemical pesticides. These few seed varieties underpinning the Green Revolution have displaced a large number of traditional seeds, resulting in the erosion of crop biodiversity. The Green Revolution has also created a wide range of ecological problems associated with the technique. These problems include; increasing soil fertility, chemical pollution of land and water resources, pesticide poisoning and pest infestation caused by growing pest immunity to pesticides.
There is now overwhelming evidence that the Green Revolution model which relied on intensive use of inputs, a select few genetically modified seed varieties, and resulted in intensive resource use and high waste, is not sustainable either ecologically, socially or economically. The Green Revolution marginalised the role of women in food production. It promoted a small number of cash crops, which undermined genetic resources and the knowledge associated with them. Traditional seed varieties have suffered a significant blow. The Green Revolution focussed on wheat and rice, forgetting the poor farmers who grew sorghum, millet, buckwheat and beans.
Rather than learning from past mistakes, the world is now seeing a Gene Revolution. Genetic engineering is a continuation and an intensification of the so-called Green Revolution. Just like the Green Revolution the Gene Revolution focuses on only a few crops, such as soy, cotton and tobacco. Hybrid seed varieties locked farmers into dependence on seed companies, raising farm costs and benefiting larger farmer and agrochemical companies. Now things are destined to get worse, if the Gene Revolution is to take hold. Technologies like the terminator seed, in markets dominated by a handful of corporations, will tighten control over farming and further weaken farmers’ bargaining power.
During the Green Revolution the small farmer was not able to apply the economies of scale for the costs of inputs to production, and so these small farmers were severely disadvantaged compared to the large corporations. These poor farmers were driven out of commercial farming. Now the new technologies of genetically modified farming will further concentrate ownership of farm resources throughout world agriculture
This new Gene Revolution is led by the US government and biotech corporations. This has already led to the planting of millions of hectares of just a few crops, such as Monsanto’s Round-Up Ready soy beans genetically engineered to resist the company’s own chemical pesticide.
The Gene and the Green Revolutions have much in common. They are both run by big corporations, both favour monocultures; both decrease traditional genetic biodiversity, and both will lead to increased poverty and ecological damage.
The results of a study that has found low levels of genetically engineered seeds mixed in with traditional seed varieties of some major crops, raises the possibility of widespread contamination of food grown Western countries. These findings add more weight to the already strong argument to preserve traditional seeds, and to restrict genetically modified seed production.
With these results in mind, there is further evidence that the concerns are justified. Serious risks to human health could result if genes from pharmaceutical and industrial crops contaminate the seeds for food crops at a significant level. Europe and Japan have banned the import of genetically modified products. The evidence of contamination could close markets to US producers who cannot certify that their products are free of genetic engineering.
The loss of biodiversity, especially of traditional farmers varieties, will impact the food security of the world's poorest people. Saving seeds is a customary practice of indigenous and local communities which guarantees access to vital food stuffs at all times. If the control of these seeds shifts into the hands of multinationals, community food security would be undermined.
Food security can only be achieved if it is conceived within a framework that fosters food autonomy and keeps control of food production systems within local and indigenous communities.