rozvojová pomoc a spolupráca - Fakulta medzinárodných vzťahov

• double-cropping existing farmland (instead of one there have to be twocrop seasons per year);• using seeds with improved genetics (Scientists developed new strains ofhigh yield value seeds, mainly wheat and rice, but also corn).First results were postitive. In 1978 - 1979 India became one of theworld`s biggest agricultural pruducers, and also exporter of food grains.Between 1947 and 1979 yield per unit of farmland improved by more than30 %. Crop area under HYV (high yield varieties) grew to 22 % of totalcultivated area (wheat 70 %, rice 35 %, corn 20 %).This strategy had surely released the questions of desirable statusbetween economy and environment. Crop areas under HYV needed morewater, fertilizer, pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals which means GDPgrowth. Increased irrigation created need for new dams to store monsoon water,which was used to create hydro-electric power. Finally India paid back all loansfrom WB Group and improved creditwothiness. Later on some developedcountries, especially Canada, which were facing shortage in agricultural labour,were so impressed that they asked India to supply them with experiencedfarmers. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana were sent to Canada and thenremitted part of their income to their relatives in India. But not all the resultswere positive. Crop areas under HYV needed more water, chemicals, etc. Thatmeans that in the absence of these inputs, the new seed perform worse thanordinary varieties. Diversity was also reduced: mixture of crops like wheat,corn, pulses, etc. was replaced mainly by monocultures of wheat and rice.Another problem was that HYV came from narrow genetic base (only threevarieties, instead of thousands before) and they were vulnerable to major pestsand diseases so new varieties had to be specially bred for resistence do disease.But breakdown in resistance can occur rapidly and in some cases replacementvarieties may by required every 3 - 4 years. The need for crops also resulted inforests clearing: in 90`s 84 % of Punjab was under cultivation (42 % is averagein India); only 4 % is forest, but most of this are plantations of eucalyptus.Overall negative effects were reduced genetic diversity, increased vulnerabilityto pests, soil erosion and contamination, water shortages, micronutrientdeficiencies.134