The Violence of the Green Revolution

The Green Revolution is often touted as being one of independent India's most outstanding achievements. But behind the widely broadcast images of full granaries and an explorable gain surplus lies a grim tale of environmental and social carnage. In this book, already a classic, Vandana shiva, examines the impact of the Green Revolution in the state of Punjab. She documents the destruction of genetic diversity and soil fertility that resulted from the Green Revolution in the State, and also shows how the acute social and political conflicts that eventually emerged tore Punjab apart and continue to simmer. As India gets hopelessly mired in the brave new world of modern agriculture with its interactable problems, this book constitutes a warning about the horrors that lie ahead. It should spur the thoughtful and the concerned towards greater efforts in developing a workable, humane alternative.