SOC 2080 Mar.27.docx

From Green Revolution to GM Foods technologies for food production dont exist in the abstractwe must speak about them in context in context means an enveloping structure that has social cultural economic and political dimensions the structure is characterized by tension gross economic inequalities asymmetries of power conflict this structure is permeated by contradictionsGreen Revolution 1960s conception public institutions funded by private foundationsFord and Rockefeller disinterested or selfinterested fundingfarm equipment and farm chemicals were major inputs for this revolution H Y Varieties dependent upon technological package wheat rice corn coffee major impact cropshailed as a huge success yields increase substantially over next few decades advocates point to Indiafrom importer to exporter of grain yield increases seen wother crops ie coffee initial critiques on scale effects of these technologiesimpacts on small farmersdifferentiation of farm operators impoverishment of majority enrichment of minority of small capitalist farmers Punjab of N India was heavily studied area wheat rice cottonAftermath early proletarianization of Punjabi small holders Pollution in last 10 years studies indicate presence mercur