Centenary of 'Father of Green Revolution' who worried about its future

MS Swaminathan's contributions extend far beyond the Green Revolution

An international conference to mark the birth centenary of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (MSS) was held in New Delhi from 7–9 August, jointly organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The central theme—“Bio-happiness through an Evergreen Revolution”—brought together a rich spectrum of voices, from policymakers and scientists to farmers, youth, activists, and global experts.

 

The three-day event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister offered a profound tribute to Dr. Swaminathan—tracing his journey from a brilliant scientist to a visionary development practitioner who catalysed India’s Green Revolution. By introducing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, Dr. Swaminathan transformed India from a nation facing severe food shortages to one that achieved near self-sufficiency in under 15 years. Today, India enjoys surplus production of staples, is the largest rice exporter in the world, and produces over 35% more than its domestic requirement.

 

 

Yet, some regions in the country continue to suffer from low productivity, and undernutrition persists. To address these issues, the PM called for a decisive shift—from “food security” to “nutrition security”, and from “discovery” to “delivery”—urging the scientific community to develop biofortified, nutrition-rich crop varieties.

 

Dr. Swaminathan’s Two-Phase Legacy

 

Dr. Swaminathan’s contributions extend far beyond the Green Revolution. While he is celebrated as the father of the Green Revolution in India, he was also among the first to acknowledge its unintended consequences: overuse of natural resources, ecological degradation, and environmental stress. From the late 1970s onwards, he championed the concept of an “Evergreen Revolution”—rooted in ecotechnology, which sustains productivity without compromising environmental integrity.

 

His vision expanded the agricultural discourse to embrace:

 

• Gender equity and the empowerment of women in agriculture

 

• Nutrition and health as central goals of farming

 

• Revival of traditional crops and sustainable practices

 

• Livelihood security for smallholders and marginalised communities

 

His legacy can thus be viewed in two distinct phases:

 

1960s–1970s: Driving the adoption of high-yielding Green Revolution technologies to achieve food self-sufficiency.

 

Late 1970s–2023: Addressing the ecological and environmental externalities of the Green Revolution, shifting focus from short-term gains to long-term sustainability—from exploiting nature to living in harmony with it. Helping those bypassed by the Green Revolution technology.

 

The Centenary Discourse

 

The conference overwhelmingly reflected this second phase of MSS’s vision. Keynotes, panels, and technical sessions revolved around ecological sustainability, nutrition security, climate change adaptation, biodiversity-based development, equitable sharing of bioresources, empowerment of smallholders and women, and making agriculture attractive to youth.

 

A recurring message was the need to blend traditional knowledge and indigenous seeds with modern science and improved varieties to create resilient, sustainable farming systems. Strong emphasis was placed on protecting farmers’ rights as custodians of seeds and genetic resources, and on strengthening the economic agency of smallholders and women.

 

Notably, the discussions gave less attention to simply raising productivity through conventional approaches—a reflection of the current reality that food security is not under immediate threat. Instead, the focus was on safeguarding the long-term health of India’s agricultural ecosystem.

 

Pathways to Bio-Happiness

 

The concluding session synthesised insights from across the event and issued a Global Call for Action—underscoring that the shift from a Green Revolution to an Evergreen Revolution will require deep systemic change.

 

The Evergreen Revolution poses challenges even greater than those faced in the 1960s.  It demands:

 

• Rethinking and reversing policies that drive environmental harm and over-exploitation of resources

 

• Redesigning incentives to reward sustainability alongside productivity

 

• Building consensus among all stakeholders—especially farmers, who were the central force behind the Green Revolution and will be equally vital to this new transformation

 

A Historic Moment for Indian Agriculture

 

India’s agricultural growth averaged 4.5% per year between 2015 and 2024—the highest in history—while food demand has been rising at about 2.5% annually. This gap gives the country a valuable window to align economic growth in the agri-food sector with evergreen growth—ensuring both economic happiness and bio-happiness.

 

The Global Call for Action emerging from this conference can serve as a strong starting point to carry forward Dr. Swaminathan’s vision—combining the prosperity of farmers with the health of our ecosystems, resilient agrifood systems, and delivering not just food security, but nutrition, sustainability, and bio-happiness for generations to come.

 

The author is a member of NITI Aayog

 

Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com  or the Business Standard newspaper.