India has done something no other country to my knowledge has done: they have had a population growth rate that has surpassed the amount of food production rate, survived, and then increased their food production to accomodate their growing population better. Madhura Swaminathan in "Population and Food Security" explains somewhat proudly that a combination of increased imports, improved irrigation, and adoption of wheat 'fine-tuned' to India combined to spark the Green Revolution that saved India from massive food shortages and potential deaths.
In Madhura Swaminathan's exert from From Green to Evergreen Revolution, Swaminathan depicts four separate phases describing the process of the Green Revolution. In phase 1, Nehru emphaised the importance of infrastructure development and scientific research in the face of a growing population that began to outstrip food production. Phase 2 saw contiued governmental support of developing infrastructure, especially irrigation. Also, education and governmental encourgagement (in the form of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) contributed to a gradual public policy concerned with increasing food production. Swaminathan claims that food production outstripped population growth during phase 2 due to governmental support and the subsequent 'self-confidence' of India's farmers.
During phase 3, saw somewhat of an expansion in types of agriculture. Oilseeds and increased milk production are highlights of the increased agriculutural efforts. Further, Swaminathan says governmental support and attention became distracted with environmental concerns such as river pollution and watershed areas; infrastructural development suffered from this diversion of attention. Finally, Swaminathan uses the word 'fatigue' to describe the policies regarding infrastucture, technology, and produciton in phase 4 (2001-present). In phase 4, an agriculture decline has occured in simultation with other issues including increasing international prices of food and land use disagreements. Finally, long term environmental issues are to show effects. Global warming is causing flooding and pollution issues are taking a toll.
Swaminathan advocates an Evergreen Revolution, defined as a second agricultural revolution with care for the environment and surrounding ecology. Main ideas he offers to create this revolution is increased technology to insure efficiency in land, water and labor use. Second, he suggests small farms over industrial farms if the small farmer can take a risk. Increased use of village-based decision making and synergy between governments can aid in both of these factors taking hold.
Aside from gross food production, nutrional security is an important goal of the second agricultural revolution. Nutrional security, according to Swaminathan, is access to balanced diet, general sanitation, and hygene. Swaminathan finds that high risk malnutrition cases occur frequently in women and children and often in Orissa, Jharkland, and Bihar.
However, other types of malnutrion occur than undernourishment in rural type areas. Prakash Shetty describes increasing obesity cases in rapidly urbanizing areas in India. Urbanization brings a host of potential communicable diseases, but Shetty discusses Noncommunicable diseases in urbanized area such as cardiovascular disease. Shetty attributes a more sedementary lifestyle and increased fatty diet as main causes as the rise in NCD's in urbanized India. Interestngly, Shetty specifically mentions consumption of milk as a source of increased fat intake of India.
I found it intersting to consider Gucharan Das's view of urbanization and industrializaton as positive strides toward a progressive economy in a global market with reference to a new host of problems associated with urbanization. I had considered sanitation issues, especially in slums, as a 'urbanization' problem before. But, I had really only thought about NCD's in Western, industrialized country. I think it would be interesting to see the income levels of urban Indians with cardiovascular diesease in comparison to the average income of India's population. I suspect NCD's to be a richer, urban problem compared to a communicable disease.
Gucharan Das stated in India Unbound that India's lag in deveopment compared to ohter Asian tigers stems from the goverment's failure to invest in education and health of its public. Both these factors are closely correlated to economic and well-being of its citizens. Edward Luce's In Spite of the Gods echoes that sentiment. He writes that India spends less on health care per GDP than almost anyother country. Luce contiues that the lack of health care spending compounds in difficulty with inequal distribution of food subsidies and food. Luce expresses frustration at the fact that India, in 2003, stored mountains of grain high enough to provide each family living below poverty with a ton of rice/wheat. He suggests that citizens use their democratic powers to overcome the wasteful ways of the bureacracies.
To connect Swimanathan's idea of an Evergreen Revolution with the diversity of nutrional problems India faces, I suggest that the sustainablity flavor of the second agriculture revolution include social sustainablity. Social sustainability could be defined as disese reduction associated with food distribution inequalities and malnutrion. Obviouisly, this is a loose and idealistic addition, but its necessary so that India doesn't continue to have a large portion of their generation grow with effects of malnourishment.
In Madhura Swaminathan's exert from From Green to Evergreen Revolution, Swaminathan depicts four separate phases describing the process of the Green Revolution. In phase 1, Nehru emphaised the importance of infrastructure development and scientific research in the face of a growing population that began to outstrip food production. Phase 2 saw contiued governmental support of developing infrastructure, especially irrigation. Also, education and governmental encourgagement (in the form of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) contributed to a gradual public policy concerned with increasing food production. Swaminathan claims that food production outstripped population growth during phase 2 due to governmental support and the subsequent 'self-confidence' of India's farmers.
During phase 3, saw somewhat of an expansion in types of agriculture. Oilseeds and increased milk production are highlights of the increased agriculutural efforts. Further, Swaminathan says governmental support and attention became distracted with environmental concerns such as river pollution and watershed areas; infrastructural development suffered from this diversion of attention. Finally, Swaminathan uses the word 'fatigue' to describe the policies regarding infrastucture, technology, and produciton in phase 4 (2001-present). In phase 4, an agriculture decline has occured in simultation with other issues including increasing international prices of food and land use disagreements. Finally, long term environmental issues are to show effects. Global warming is causing flooding and pollution issues are taking a toll.
Swaminathan advocates an Evergreen Revolution, defined as a second agricultural revolution with care for the environment and surrounding ecology. Main ideas he offers to create this revolution is increased technology to insure efficiency in land, water and labor use. Second, he suggests small farms over industrial farms if the small farmer can take a risk. Increased use of village-based decision making and synergy between governments can aid in both of these factors taking hold.
Aside from gross food production, nutrional security is an important goal of the second agricultural revolution. Nutrional security, according to Swaminathan, is access to balanced diet, general sanitation, and hygene. Swaminathan finds that high risk malnutrition cases occur frequently in women and children and often in Orissa, Jharkland, and Bihar.
However, other types of malnutrion occur than undernourishment in rural type areas. Prakash Shetty describes increasing obesity cases in rapidly urbanizing areas in India. Urbanization brings a host of potential communicable diseases, but Shetty discusses Noncommunicable diseases in urbanized area such as cardiovascular disease. Shetty attributes a more sedementary lifestyle and increased fatty diet as main causes as the rise in NCD's in urbanized India. Interestngly, Shetty specifically mentions consumption of milk as a source of increased fat intake of India.
I found it intersting to consider Gucharan Das's view of urbanization and industrializaton as positive strides toward a progressive economy in a global market with reference to a new host of problems associated with urbanization. I had considered sanitation issues, especially in slums, as a 'urbanization' problem before. But, I had really only thought about NCD's in Western, industrialized country. I think it would be interesting to see the income levels of urban Indians with cardiovascular diesease in comparison to the average income of India's population. I suspect NCD's to be a richer, urban problem compared to a communicable disease.
Gucharan Das stated in India Unbound that India's lag in deveopment compared to ohter Asian tigers stems from the goverment's failure to invest in education and health of its public. Both these factors are closely correlated to economic and well-being of its citizens. Edward Luce's In Spite of the Gods echoes that sentiment. He writes that India spends less on health care per GDP than almost anyother country. Luce contiues that the lack of health care spending compounds in difficulty with inequal distribution of food subsidies and food. Luce expresses frustration at the fact that India, in 2003, stored mountains of grain high enough to provide each family living below poverty with a ton of rice/wheat. He suggests that citizens use their democratic powers to overcome the wasteful ways of the bureacracies.
To connect Swimanathan's idea of an Evergreen Revolution with the diversity of nutrional problems India faces, I suggest that the sustainablity flavor of the second agriculture revolution include social sustainablity. Social sustainability could be defined as disese reduction associated with food distribution inequalities and malnutrion. Obviouisly, this is a loose and idealistic addition, but its necessary so that India doesn't continue to have a large portion of their generation grow with effects of malnourishment.
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