Major innovations in agriculture have always proved to be controversial

Essay by KeirHigh School, 12th grade March 2006

download word file, 2 pages 3.7

* Major innovations in agriculture were set off by inventions created in research facilities of companies all located in MEDCs.

* These innovative inventions served the sole purpose of increasing the output/yield of the agricultural sector/primary industry.

* The controversial edge of this topic lies within the specific industrial sector its self, namely dealing with life forms such as plants and animals, altering their natural properties in favor of increasing their efficiency.

* There are three major categories in which one can divide the major recent innovations in agriculture: 1) The "Green Revolution" 2) The birth of "Genetically Modified Foods" (GMF) and 3) The use of growth hormones in animals, such as Monsanto's rBGH.

1. The Green Revolution was initiated in 1945 by the Rockefeller Foundation in collaboration with the Mexican government which established the Cooperative Wheat Research and Production Program, that in return produced Hybrid Strands.

These Hybrid Strands were achieved by crossbreeding a great range of plants in order to isolate the desired features the end product should have. Maize, rice, tomatoes etc. are a few examples of graduates from this project. The plants are more susceptible to chemical fertilizers, are more resistant to drought conditions, strong winds and their yield is increased. 40% of all the crops grown these days are products of the GR. Many LEDCs received this new crop, which increased their food output dramatically and saved many people from starvation, but this did not solve the fundamental problem causing the food shortages among certain populations. In fact this plan resulted into an increase of misery because most of the seeds for the crops are sterile forcing farmers to depend on the prices the corporations set.

2. Genetically Manipulated Foods are also called the "Green Revolution II". Companies such as Monsanto, Novartis,