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Difficulty: MediumDebates about the Environment after 1900

Source: Vandana Shiva, Indian environmental activist, *The Violence of the Green Revolution*, 1991.

"The Green Revolution has been a chemical-intensive, water-intensive agricultural strategy that replaced biodiverse, self-regenerating farming systems with monocultures. While it initially increased grain yields, it also led to severe environmental degradation, including soil erosion, pesticide contamination, and the depletion of groundwater. Furthermore, by forcing farmers to rely on expensive corporate seeds and fertilizers, it created deep financial debts that disrupted traditional rural communities."

Which of the following best describes the historical debate represented in the passage?

  1. The debate over the ecological and social costs of high-yield industrial farming compared to its food production benefits.Answer
  2. B
    The debate over whether the Green Revolution was an eco-friendly conservation movement aimed at preserving global biodiversity.
  3. C
    The debate over whether rural communities could resist complete cultural homogenization caused by Western globalization.
  4. D
    The debate over whether foreign corporations should establish direct colonial rule over agricultural regions rather than economic dominance.

Answer

The debate over the ecological and social costs of high-yield industrial farming compared to its food production benefits.
The correct option is correct because the Green Revolution succeeded in dramatically increasing global food production, but it also sparked intense debate regarding its environmental impacts (like pesticide use and water depletion) and its socioeconomic effects on small farmers. The passage directly contrasts the initial increase in grain yields with these negative ecological and community consequences.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage.
The passage by Vandana Shiva critiques the Green Revolution by acknowledging that it 'initially increased grain yields' but arguing that it caused 'severe environmental degradation' and 'disrupted traditional rural communities' through economic debt.
This establishes the dual nature of the debate: agricultural productivity versus environmental and social sustainability.
2
Evaluate the answer choices against the analyzed passage.
The correct option correctly frames the debate between the benefits of increased food supply and the associated environmental and social drawbacks. The other options misinterpret the nature of the Green Revolution, focus on unrelated cultural factors, or confuse economic influence with direct colonization.
To identify the correct choice, the student must recognize the core historical tension of the Green Revolution as presented in the text.

Key Concept

The debates and environmental consequences associated with the mid-twentieth century Green Revolution.
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Topics

Debates about the Environment after 1900

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