The official concern for food productivity stagnation calls for a Second Green Revolution involving new hybrid rice and transgenic rice varieties. However, traditional rice landraces prove to be fine tuned to local soil and climatic conditions. Traditional farmer landraces can yield significantly greater in marginal environmental conditions than any modern hybrid variety. Traditional agoecological knowledge and farmer innovations are the best bet to address the food security issue.

1. 1
The Green Revolution:The Green Revolution:
Do We Really Need it -- Again?Do We Really Need it -- Again?
Debal Deb
Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Barrackpore
www.cintdis.org

2. 2
The Ingredients of the GreenThe Ingredients of the Green
RevolutionRevolution
1. Irrigation Package (Dams, Canals, Pumps)
2. Synthetic Fertilizers (and the “NPK
Mentality”)
3. Insecticides, Herbicides, Fungicides
4. Hybrid Seeds

3. 3
The ConsequencesThe Consequences
1. Erosion of Folk Crop Genetic Diversity
2. Loss of Local Food Cultures
3. Corporate control of ALL Materials of Production
4. Corporate Hijacking of Food Security
… and there has been no exception!

4. 4
Was Cereal Yield IncreaseWas Cereal Yield Increase
Really Due to “Miracle Seeds”?Really Due to “Miracle Seeds”?
The power function relationship of production (P) of rice and wheat with expansion of
cropland area (A). P = c A2+ z
where z = 1.65 for rice and 0.4 for wheat, and c = 0.0005 for
rice and 0.022 for wheat.
[Data adopted from GOI 2001]
Wheat
0
20
40
60
80
0 10 20 30
Crop Area (million ha)
Production(millionMT)
Rice
0
20
40
60
80
100
20 30 40 50
Crop Area (million ha)
Production(millionMT)

5. 5
Regression of Production against % Cropland Under Irrigation.
Slope = 3.44 for Rice, 0.99 for Wheat
Cereal Output Growth Due to Irrigation ExtensionCereal Output Growth Due to Irrigation Extension

6. 6
Not only Cereals, but Production of Legumes Have Also Increased
from Irrigation Extension

7. 7
Increase in Local
Rice Varieties
Also Increased
Due to Increase in
Gross
Crop Area and
Irrigation. Folk
Varieties’ Role
In Crop Output Is
Systematically
Ignored in Official
Agronomic
Literature.
Source: Agricultural
Statistics At A Glance
2009. Ministry of
Agriculture.

8. 8

9. 9
Did You Say … Crop Yield Increase?

10. Hybrid RiceHybrid Rice::
Fools' ToolFools' Tool
for Food Securityfor Food Security

11. 11
Questions of Reason & RelevanceQuestions of Reason & Relevance
Is Hybrid Rice Technology the best of
all possible worlds?
Do we have enough evidence to rely
on it?
Have we tried all cheaper
alternatives?

12. 12
Published CountryPublished Country
ExamplesExamples
Vietnam
The Philippines
India
Bangladesh
China

13. 13
 “There was a minimal improvement in hybrid paddy
yield in the period 1992-2006 (0.1% annually), while
inbred paddy yield grew at rate of 2.4% annually.
Even though Vietnam experienced a high adoption
rate of hybrid as compared to other Asian countries
(8% recently), this change in area structure
contributes much less than yield improvement.
 “On average, hybrid rice brought an additional
quantity of 589,800 tons of paddy annually during
the period 1992 -2006, or 2.1% paddy output
compared with case of no hybrids.
 “Hence, hybrid rice has contributed very little
to overall paddy yield improvement of Vietnam
since 1992.”
Source: ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HYBRID RICE IN VIETNAM: AN ININTIAL ASSESSMENT
2007 by Tran Duc Vien and Nguyen Thi Duong Nga
Hanoi University of Agriculture

14. 14

15. 15

16. 16
According to the Department of Agriculture
(2005), total budget spent for the extension
program and R&D in hybrid rice production
from 1993-2005 is recorded at 5.5 million USD.
Some provinces spent more for their hybrid
rice program. The hybrid rice development
program in Vietnam has received support from
the government in various forms., including
high subsidies. However, hybrid rice area has
not shown increased development and even
the hybrid seed area has declined to 1200 ha
in 2008.
Costly Import and
Subsidy

17. 17

18. 18
Unreliable Seed Quality
“Only 84.9% of imported seed in
2006 was quality seed, and 74.4%
of imported seed was certified to
meet the requirement of purity.”
Source: Hung, Le Quang. 2007. Quality of Hybrid
Seeds and their Performances. Hanoi Agricultural
Division Publishing House, pp 228 -232.

19. 19
Unstable Seed Supply
With almost 80% of seed imported
from abroad, the country’s farmers
are dependent on seed supply from
outside in terms of quantity, quality,
variety and price. A tightening of the
supply from China or Thailand would
result in excess demand in domestic
market and price would go up.

20. 20
Inferior Grain Quality
 “China has developed super hybrid rice since 1996,
which attained yields of 12 tons/ha in the period
2001 -2005. Hybrid rice is expected to attain yields
of 13 tons/ha in the country in the future.
 “However, the rate of hybrid rice adoption has
decreased steadily (at low pace) because of
changing demand. The average Chinese’s income
levels have increased, consumers demand for good
quality rice has increased, while hybrid rice
varieties have not been able to meet this demand.”
• In India and Bangladesh, all hybrid rice varieties are disfavored by
consumers.
Source: David, Cristina C. 2006. Philippine Hybrid Rice Program: A case for Redesign and
Scaling Down. Manila: Philippine Inst itute for Development studies (PIDs).
FAO 2008. Rice Production Externalities: Consumer preferences. Rome.

21. 21
Poor Adaptation to Local
Environmental Conditions
“Hybrid rice is susceptible to blast disease during
the summer season, and this is especially true of
imported varieties. That is one of the reasons
hybrid rice is not preferred during the summer
season. Some of 2-line hybrids have advantages
of shorter maturation time and less susceptibility to
blast disease, but are not adaptable to a wide
range of conditions.”
Source: Tran Duc Vien and Nguyen Thi Duong Nga 2007. ECONOMIC IMPACT
OF HYBRID RICE IN VIETNAM: AN ININTIAL ASSESSMENT. Hanoi University
of Agriculture.

22. 22
The Technophilia ParadigmThe Technophilia Paradigm
No modern rice (including Hybrid ) cultivar has
ever been produced in any country that can
withdtand
1. Drought
2. Flood/ Submergence
3. Soil salinity
4. Pest attack
5. Pathogen outbreak
All these properties are found in folk rice varieties.

23. 23
AMAZING FARMER INNOVATIONS
Jugal: The Double-Grain Rice
Debal Deb

24. 24
AMAZING FARMER INNOVATIONS
Sateen: The Three-Grain Rice
Debal Deb

25. 25
The Myth of Exceptional High Yield
 “Actual field experience with farmer developed
varieties in the Philippines show that yields of up
to 7 mt/ha are achievable using organic farming
practices. This compares favorably to the less
than 6 mt/ha average yield for hybrid rice.
Rice farmers who employed the system of rice
intensification managed to obtain yields reaching
as high as 9 mt/ha.
 Moreover, the small rice farmers have been
reporting 70 to 75% milling recovery rates
which is much higher than around 60%, as
registered by hybrid rice.”
 Source: Omi Royandoyan and Jimmy Tadeo 2009. Rice Hybridization is
NOT the Solution. Centro Saka & National Rice Farmers Council. Manila.

26. 26
The Myth of “Low-Yielding”The Myth of “Low-Yielding”
Traditional Rice VarietiesTraditional Rice Varieties
 At Basudha, in situ demonstration for the past
12 years show that at least 16 farmer landraces
can outyield any HYV in marginal farm
conditions (deep water/ dryland/ saline farms).
Another 7 varieties (Bahurupi, Bou rani,
Haijam, Kerala sundari, Panchali, Panjab-
sal, Srabanti-sal) can yield as high as 8.3 t/
ha with ZERO agrochemical inputs – higher than
the hybrid rice varieties so far introduced.
Source: Deb, D. 2005. Seeds of Tradition, Seeds of Future. RFSTE. New Delhi.

27. 27
Our Heirloom Rice LandracesOur Heirloom Rice Landraces

28. 28
Food Security NeedsFood Security Needs
the Hardwarethe Hardware (Seeds of Diversity)(Seeds of Diversity)
andand
the Softwarethe Software (Knowledge and(Knowledge and
Techniques of Bio-diverse,Techniques of Bio-diverse,
Ecological Agriculture)Ecological Agriculture)
Debal Deb

29. 29
Debal Deb
Farmer Innovation – Inconsequential?Farmer Innovation – Inconsequential?

30. 30
Alley cropping, Inter-
cropping and Rotational
cropping can boost
farm productivity
several-fold.
Up to 220 plant species
are grown in Home
Gardens of Kerala,
Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland and south
Bengal.
Debal Deb
Multiple Cropping Systems:Multiple Cropping Systems:
A Sure Way to Outlive DisastersA Sure Way to Outlive Disasters

31. 31
Transplant rice plants
between 7-15 days after
sowing
Single plants to be
transplanted
25 cm X 25 cm gaps
between hills
Soil moisture is crucial
Debal Deb
SRI: A Method of Enhancing Rice YieldSRI: A Method of Enhancing Rice Yield
Without Any Chemical InputsWithout Any Chemical Inputs

32. 32
Combination of crops
in ponds, farm field
and surrounding tree
stands.
 Examples:
• Paddy, Fish & Duck
culture
• Trees, & bean crops
on pond margins,
deep-water rice in
pond
• Fodder crops,
bamboos &
medicinals
• Multi-tier, multi-
species agroforestry Debal Deb
Complex Ecosystems of Aqua-Agro-forestryComplex Ecosystems of Aqua-Agro-forestry

33. 33
Do we really NEED TO INCREASE
rice production?
A Final Question

34. 34
Govt. of India (2010), Agricultural Statistics At A Glance 2009
Total Available Food Grain in India: from Production Data

35. 35
The central pool has a stock of 25.2 million tonnes of wheat and a
rice stock of 22.9 million tonnes as of 1 December 2009. With an
estimated procurement of 26 million tonnes of rice in kharif
marketing season 2009-10 and the present level of stocks, the
requirement of targeted public distribution at current level of
allocations will be comfortably met, the FCI release said.”
http://www.domain-b.com/economy/general/20091226_food_corporation_2.html
In 2009-10, Rice production : 89.27 million tons
Wheat production : 80.98 million tons
In 2009-10, Rice in stock : 21.6 million tons
2009-10, Wheat in stock : 30.3 million tons
Per capita availability of Rice alone : 0.13 ton
Per capita availability of Rice+Wheat : 0.29 ton
http://indiacurrentaffairs.org/agriculture-production-in-2009-2010/
Consider the Other Food FactsConsider the Other Food Facts

36. 36
• “Agricultural overproduction is coupled with the paradox
of hunger and malnutrition, because the poor remain deprived
of entitlement.” (WRI 2009)
• India has produced 0.9 MT of rice per capita in 2009-10
• In 2002 MPs of India were discussing dumping
of 32,000 tons of rotten cereal grains into the
sea - while starvation deaths continued in 4
States.
• The amount of cereal grains rotten and wasted in
government storehouses exceed the amount needed to
end hunger in Kalahandi, Shivpuri or Belpahari.
Where do the EXCESS GRAINS end up?
NOT IN HUMAN STOMACHS !

37. 37
We need aWe need a new rationalnew rational
approachapproach to problemto problem
solving more urgently thansolving more urgently than
novel genesnovel genes for cropfor crop
hybridization.hybridization.

38. 38
For further information, contact:For further information, contact:
Dr. Debal DebDr. Debal Deb
Centre for InterdisciplinaryCentre for Interdisciplinary
StudiesStudies
9 Old Calcutta Road,9 Old Calcutta Road,
Barrackpore, Kolkata 700 123Barrackpore, Kolkata 700 123
Email:Email: info@cintdis.orginfo@cintdis.org
cintdis@hotmail.comcintdis@hotmail.com
Website:Website: http://www.cintdis.orghttp://www.cintdis.org