Difference Between Green Revolution and White Revolution

Key Difference – Green Revolution vs White Revolution

 

Green revolution and the white revolution are two of the revolutions that came about in the human history and there exists some difference between the two revolutions. As we look back at the world history, there has been a series of changes that came about. First, let us define the two revolutions. Green revolution can be defined as a period of time in the human history where advances in agricultural technology allowed for the increase in the production of global agriculture. When speaking of the White Revolution in this article, attention will be paid to the white revolution in India also known as Operation Flood. However, it is important to bear in mind that White revolution can also refer to the Revolution in Iran known as the Revolution of the Shah. The key difference between the Green Revolution and the White revolution in India is that while the Green Revolution focused on the agriculture, White Revolution focused on dairy products. Through this article let us examine the differences between the two revolutions in depth. First, let us begin with the Green Revolution.

What is Green Revolution?

Green revolution can be defined as a period of time in the human history where advances in agricultural technology allowed for the increase in the production of global agriculture. This took place in the 1940s and 1960s.  Norman Borlaug is considered as the Father of the Green Revolution.

As we all know, the human population is constantly growing in numbers hence the need to provide for this growing global population is also rising. The green revolution was an attempt to create a platform where these needs could be satisfied. This included the introduction of new chemical fertilizers which assisted farmers to better their crops. Also, the usage of various pesticides and synthetic herbicides were also visible in this period. During the Green Revolution, farmers were encouraged to engage in multiple cropping. This denotes that during a single year, two or more crops are grown in the field.  With the assistance of new agricultural technology, the farmers were able to produce more. The impact that the Green Revolution had on the developing countries such as Mexico, India was large as it allowed to boost their agricultural economy.

The specialty of the Green Revolution was that it increased global agricultural production which enabled the world to cater to the needs of more consumers. Also, it benefited the farmers greatly as they were able to produce more with the same labor cost. However, this is not to deny the fact that the Green Revolution was detrimental to the environment as it increased pollution through the usage of chemicals.

What is White Revolution?

White revolution is also referred to as the Operation Flood. This was a rural development program that began in the 1970s in India. This was initiated by the National Diary Development Board of India.The key feature of the white revolution was that it enabled India to emerge as the largest producer of milk in the entire world. The very name white revolution is associated with it because the program relates to dairy products most especially milk.

The objective of the program was to assist rural dairy farmers to develop as it created a grid where the farmers and consumers from across the world were connected directly. This was extremely advantageous to the farmers as they were provided with a better price for their products.

What is the Difference Between Green Revolution and White Revolution?

As you can observe, there exists a clear difference between the two revolutions. This can be summarized as follows.

Definitions of Green Revolution and White Revolution:

Green Revolution: Green revolution can be defined as a period of time in the human history where advances in agricultural technology allowed for the increase in the production of global agriculture.

White Revolution: White revolution was a rural development program that related to dairy products.

Characteristics of Green Revolution and White Revolution:

Period of time:

Green Revolution: Green revolution began in the 1940s and 1960s.

White Revolution: White revolution began in the 1970s.

Scope:

Green Revolution: Green revolution was a global project.

White Revolution: White revolution was an Indian project.

Nature:

Green Revolution: Green revolution related to agricultural changes that were brought about on a global scale.

White Revolution: White revolution was about dairy products.

 

Image Courtesy:

1. Irrigation1 By Paulkondratuk3194 [CC-BY-SA-3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

2. “Bara Banki district, Uttar Pradesh, India” by neiljs – Flickr: Bara Banki district, Uttar Pradesh, India. [ CC BY 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons