The Green Revolution is an effort that has increased crop yields around the world since 1950. These high-yielding crops are produced by planting monocultures of genetically modified plants and using inorganic fertilizers, water of irrigation and pesticides in large quantities. It can be argued that the Green Revolution is a total success, although it may be true that it temporarily improves the lives of millions of people. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay People in today's society are now seeing the harmful consequences it has and is still causing. The first Green Revolution occurred between approximately 1950 and 1970. During this time period this phenomenon dramatically increased crop yields in most industrialized countries. Economic activity has increased in these countries due to the abundance of money circulating due to the export of food products. It wasn't long after the first Green Revolution that the second Green Revolution occurred in 1967. Now not only industrialized countries are benefiting, but also less developed countries. Dwarf varieties of wheat and rice are introduced. These plants are specially bred to grow fast and have high yields. For these high-yielding plants to thrive, plenty of water, fertilizers and pesticides are needed. In fact, in the 1960s, thanks to this technique, there was a 90% increase in world cereal production. The success of these revolutions is very short-lived. It didn't take long before the population grew to the limit of food sources and food in processed third countries became too expensive. The price of fertilizers, pesticides and proper irrigation was quite high. Another problem encountered in some less fortunate countries is the pollution of water supplies. Large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers are sprayed on the crop, and those that do not reach the plants will settle in surface waters or seep into groundwater. Since there is no funding to build water pollution control systems, the contaminated water ends up directly in the drinking water supply. Illness and death are another direct consequence of the Green Revolution. The increased use of chemicals causes contamination of water supplies throughout the third world and also of food supplies. Around 40% of food contains detectable residues, and this isn't just the case in third world countries. 3% of this food has residues above the legal limit. This film causes thousands of people to get sick every year due to poisoning. Other people very affected by this phenomenon are agricultural workers; it is estimated that between 5,000 and 26,000 people die every year from these poisons. Reports of cancer, mutations, birth defects and nervous system disorders are all believed to be caused by excessive use of chemicals. These genetically modified plants require an overload of pesticides and fertilizers. With a lack of genetic diversity, plants lose their resistance to diseases and pests. Not only does this pose a problem for farmers, but the world is losing more than just seasonal crops. Countless food varieties are being lost forever due to the practice of monoculture, which could ultimately lead to food shortages. An example of this is the 6000 varieties of apples that are no longer available. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get an essay.