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The Green Revolution in Asia

In the 1960's, Green Revolution methods were transplanted to Asia, but the emphasis of hybrid research was on wheat and rice. The results were impressive:
OUTPUT (metric tons)
                    China                  South Asia
             rice   wheat  maize      rice   wheat   maize 
 1961-1965   72.2    19.1    20       72.7    15.5      6  
 1986-1990  176.9    90.1    80      135.9    63.5     10  
Pictures/267.jpg Critics claim that these methods foster dependence on expensive inputs, diminish the natural genetic diversity and resilience of "natural" seed, and promote the intensive use of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides, which can lead to pollution of soil and groundwater. There is some evidence that only the wealthiest farmers with large farms and the resources to acquire expensive inputs were able to benefit from Green Revolution methods.