Pros
and Cons
Lets take a look at some of the pros and cons of the Green Revolution
Pros:
- Capable of growing crops on a massive scale.
- Make plants which are resistant to pests and herbicides.
- Farming can become a process of automation.
- Can replant same crops without having to let land fallow.
- Can grow virtually any crop anywhere we want.
- Farmers can grow and export cash crops for profit.
Cons:
- Massive mono-cultures of crops are unnatural, they require vast amounts
of land, and require large quantities of water, and fertilizer.
- Pests and weeds can develop a resistance to GMO's poisons, and can
result in creation of super-pests which are far more difficult to control.
There are also worries about cross pollination from GMO's to other
plants in the environment that could result in invasive species.
- GMO's produce sterile seeds, and must be repurchased every year.
- The cost of industrial farming equipment is beyond the means of small
farmers. Plus all this equipment requires burning fossil fuels, contributing
to pollution, and global warming.
- By constantly replanting crops without restoring soil health means
that more fertilizer is required to replenish nitrates. The use of
petrochemical fertilizers require fossil fuels, and is patently unsustainable.
- Contributes to food scarcity as staple food crops are being replaced
by cash crops to be exported.
- No attention paid to the suitability of what can be grown in a given
area.
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