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‘Green revolution’ trapping India’s farmers in debt

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 15, 2009 at 7:35 am

From NPR:

As the world’s population surges, the international community faces a pressing problem: How will it feed everybody? Until recently, people thought India had an answer.

Farmers in the state of Punjab abandoned traditional farming methods in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the national program called the “Green Revolution,” backed by advisers from the U.S. and other countries. Indian farmers started growing crops the American way — with chemicals, high-yield seeds and irrigation. Since then, India has gone from importing grain like a beggar, to often exporting it.

But studies show the Green Revolution is heading for collapse.

Read more from NPR by clicking here.

April 15, 2009 · Filed Under International Water Issues

Comments

One Response to “‘Green revolution’ trapping India’s farmers in debt”

  1. dfb on April 17th, 2009 1:16 am

    It is even worse than NPR reported. In another state, 1,500 farmers committed mass suicide over dropping ground water levels.
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/1500-farmers-commit-mass-suicide-in-india-1669018.html

    “Over 1,500 farmers in an Indian state committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure, it was reported today.

    The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.

    “The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago,” Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine

    “Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well.” “

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