Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Crisis and the Future

  • Chapter
Green Revolution?

Part of the book series: Cambridge Commonwealth Series ((CAMCOM))

  • 13 Accesses

Abstract

Our fieldwork was overtaken in its later stages by the crisis in energy and fertiliser supply occasioned by OPEC’s sudden increase in oil prices: between March 1973 and August 1974 freight rates in North Arcot trebled, while fertiliser prices in both India and Sri Lanka rocketed and the problems of the supply of scarce chemical inputs, already introduced in chapter 17, became even more severe. In this chapter some of us set out our results and thinking (not necessarily in complete agreement) on the consequences of fertiliser and other newly acute shortages, and on the design of alternative technologies for the future — given both the likelihood of continuing scarcity and expensiveness of energy and chemical inputs and (so far as North Arcot at least is concerned) the projected growth of rural population and the constraint exercised by limited water resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Agrarian Research and Training Institute, ARTI (1974). The Agrarian Situation in Relation to Paddy Cultivation in Five Selected Districts of Sri Lanka, Colombo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickson, D. (1974). Alternative Technology and the Politics of Technical Change, London, Fontana.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fertiliser Association of India, FAI (1973). Fertiliser Statistics, 1972–73, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabor, D. (1963). Inventing the Future, Harmondsworth, Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garg, M. K. (1974). Problems of Developing Appropriate Technologies in India, Appropriate Technology, 1, 16–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes, N. (1974). ‘The Amazing Solar Engine’, Observer, 21 July.

    Google Scholar 

  • Izumi, K. and Ranatunge, S. (1973). Cost of Paddy Production Yala 1972, ARTIResearch Study Series no. 1, Colombo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joachim, A. W. R. (ed.) (1931). A Manual of Green Manuring, Colombo, Department of Agriculture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalpage, F. S. C. P. (1967). Soils and Fertilisers, Colombo, Department of Agriculture.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, L. (1931). ‘Green Manuring of Paddy’ in Joachim (ed.) (1931), pp. 149–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majumdar, P. S. (1973). ‘Farm Mechanisation in India’, paper to IDS/ ARTI Seminar on Economic and Social Consequences of the Improved Seeds, Colombo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitra, R. B. (1974). ‘Bid for Self Reliance in Pesticide Know How’, The Hindu Survey of Indian Industry, Madras.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panabokke, C. R. (1967). Soils of Ceylon and Fertiliser Use, Colombo, Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popper, K. (1945). The Open Society and Its Enemies, London, Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajagopalan, V. (1974). Fertiliser Crisis and Rice Production—Implications to Research and Development, paper to the Annual Rice Conference, IRRI,Los Banos, p. 11, mimeo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, J. G., Sheldrake, R. and Yadav, S. P. (1974). Human Nutritional Needs and Crop Breeding Objectives in the Semi-arid Tropics, Economic Statistical Unit, ICRISAT Occasional Paper no. 4, Hyderabad.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sussex Group (1970). Science and Technology to Developing Countries during the Second Development Decade, IDS reprint no. 101, Brighton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, TNEB (1973). 15th Ann. Admin. Report, 1971–72, Madras.

    Google Scholar 

  • UN (1971). The World Population Situation in 1970, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Studies no. 49, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weerawickrema, S. K. A. and Constable, D. H. (1968). Ceylon Fertiliser Project: 8th (last) Field Report to the Government of Ceylon, Colombo, mimeo.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, C. (1971). The Fluidyne Heat Engine, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Research Group Report, Harwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, L. B. (1974). The Hambantota Story, Colombo, Co-operative Management Services Centre.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Robert Chambers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. D. Dias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Barbara Harriss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John Harriss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of South Asian Studies, University of Cambridge, UK

    B. H. Farmer (Director) (Director)

Copyright information

© 1980 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Chambers, R., Dias, H.D., Harriss, B., Harriss, J. (1980). The Crisis and the Future. In: Farmer, B.H. (eds) Green Revolution?. Cambridge Commonwealth Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-02965-5_24

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation