Green Revolution's Legacy of Weakened Food Security

Jomo Kwame Sundaram, the former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, alongside Kuhaneetha Bai Kalaicelvan, Nurina Malek, and Felice Noelle Rodriguez, contends that the Green Revolution, despite boosting crop production, compromised food security. Originally initiated by governments, it was later appropriated by multinational agribusinesses. Neoliberal strategies emphasized efficiency at the expense of safety, rendering food systems precarious. Following World War II, ensuring food security became crucial after colonial regimes exploited food as a weapon. The Green Revolution, which concentrated on crops like wheat, maize, and rice, was propelled by CGIAR-linked public research. As state funding waned, corporate influence surged. The US altered PL 480 into the World Food Programme, which restricted supplies to Somalia, resulting in approximately 200,000-300,000 fatalities. Neoliberal reforms in the 1980s further eroded food security, as dominant conglomerates advocated for import-friendly metrics.