The Globalization of Wheat: A Critical History of the Green Revolution

Nominee, 2023 Wallace Award, Agricultural History Society
In The Globalization of Wheat, Marci R. Baranski explores Norman Borlaug's complicated legacy as godfather of the Green Revolution. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his role in fighting global hunger, Borlaug, an American agricultural scientist and plant breeder who worked for the Rockefeller Foundation, left a legacy that divides opinions even today. His high-yielding dwarf wheat varieties, known as miracle seeds, effectively doubled and tripled crop yields across the globe, from Kenya to India and Argentina to Mexico due to their wide adaptation. But these modern seeds also required expensive chemical fertilizers and irrigation, both of which were only available to wealthier farmers. Baranski argues that Borlaug's new technologies ultimately privileged wealthier farmers, despite assurances to politicians that these new crops would thrive in diverse geographies and benefit all farmers. As large-scale monocultures replaced traditional farming practices, these changes were codified into the Indian wheat research system, thus limiting attention to traditional practices and marginal environments. In the shadow of this legacy, and in the face of accelerating climate change, Baranski brings new light to Borlaug's role in a controversial concept in agricultural science.

ISBN-13: 9780822947349

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press

Publication Date: 11-15-2022

Pages: 256

Product Dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

Series: INTERSECTIONS: Histories of Environment

Marci R. Baranski is an interdisciplinary scientist and historian working in the field of climate change mitigation in agriculture. Since completing her PhD in biology and society at Arizona State University in 2015, Baranski has worked on climate change mitigation policy, research, and implementation in the private and public sectors. She currently works and lives in Bangkok.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 Narratives around Wide Adaptation in International Wheat Research, 1960-1970: Norman E. Borlaug, Charles F. Krull, and Keith W. Finlay 25

Chapter 2 Proper Agronomy: The Indian Context of a New Plant Breeding Ideal, 1960-1970 48

Chapter 3 Indian Wheat Research after the Green Revolution 74

Chapter 4 The Persistence of Wide Adaptation in India 97

Chapter 5 Challenges to Wide Adaptation in International Agricultural Research: Wheat in North Africa and the Middle East and Maize in Mexico 124

Conclusion The Legacy of Wide Adaptation in International Agricultural Development 153

Research Methods 161

Notes 167

Bibliography 203

Index 227