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1940–1970 · Global · Science

Green Revolution and crop science

New crop varieties, fertilizer, irrigation and agricultural research raised yields in many regions, especially in wheat and rice systems.

Atlas dossier · Cold War & Decolonization

Free device narration · synchronized English captions · transcript available

Why it matters

The Green Revolution reduced famine risk for many people while intensifying dependence on inputs, water and unequal land systems.

Date
1940–1970
Historical setting
Cold War & Decolonization · Global
People & communities
Norman Borlaug · farmers · plant breeders · agricultural laborers · governments
01

Event

New crop varieties, fertilizer, irrigation and agricultural research raised yields in many regions, especially in wheat and rice systems.

02

People

Norman Borlaug · farmers · plant breeders · agricultural laborers · governments

03

Consequences

The Green Revolution reduced famine risk for many people while intensifying dependence on inputs, water and unequal land systems.

Interpretation note

Evidence, memory and historical debate

This dossier distinguishes the event’s basic chronology from later arguments about meaning, responsibility and legacy. When comparing religious, national, Indigenous or scholarly interpretations, consult the primary and institutional sources above alongside peer-reviewed historical work.

Elsewhere in the world

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