In the first phase of the Green Revolution, in the 1960s and 1970s the introduction of new technology seemed to be increasing inequalities in rural society. Green Revolution crops were highly profitable, mainly because they yielded more produce, well-to-do farmers who had access to land, capital, technology, and know-how, and those who could invest in the new seeds and fertilizers, could increase their production and earn more money. However, in many cases it led to the displacement of tenant-cultivators. For landowners began to take back land from their tenants and cultivate it directly because cultivation was becoming more profitable. This made the rich farmers better off, and worsened the condition of the landless and marginal holders. In addition the introduction of machinery such as tillers, tractors, threshers, and harvesters led to the displacement of the service groups who used to carry out these agriculture-related activities. The ultimate outcome of the Green Revolution was a process of 'differentiation', in which the rich grew richer and many of the poor stagnated or grew poorer. Moreover, rising prices and a shift in the mode of payment of agricultural workers from payment in kind (grain) to cash, actually worsened the economic condition of most rural workers. In the second phase of the Green Revolution which began in 1980 there was increasing commercialization and dependence on the market farmers who once grew food for consumption now depend on the market for the incomes. In most of the Green Revolution areas, farmers have switched from a multi-crop system, which allowed them to spread risks, to a mono-crop regime. Which means that there is nothing to fall back on in case of crop failure. Another negative outcome of the Green Revolution strategy was the worsening of regional inequalities.
Which of the following mitigates risks of crop failure for the farmer?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Multi-crop system
Option (1) Multi-crop system — Correct. When a farmer grows several crops, a bad season for one crop does not ruin him, because the others still bring in something. The passage says the multi-crop system allowed farmers to spread risks, and that most Green Revolution farmers have now left it.
NCERT (2025-26): “4.3 The Green Revolution and its Social Consequences … The second phase of the Green Revolution which began in 1980s, farmers living in the dry and semi-arid regions of India began following Green Revolution cultivation practices. In these areas there has been a significant shift from dry to wet (irrigated) cultivation, along with changes in the cropping pattern and type of crops grown. Increasing commercialisation and dependence on the market in these areas (for instance, where cotton cultivation has been promoted) has increased rather than reduced livelihood insecurity, as farmers who once grew food for consumption now depend on the market for the incomes. In marketoriented cultivation, especially where a single crop is grown, a fall in prices or a bad crop can spell financial ruin for farmers. In most of the Green Revolution areas, farmers have switched from a multi-crop system, which allowed them to spread risks, to a mono-crop regime, which means that there is nothing to fall back on in case of crop failure.…” |