BEFORE YOU WATCH: Green Revolution

Before you watch

While you watch

1. Why did the US State Department official William Gaud coin the term “Green Revolution” in 1968, and what was he contrasting it to?
2. Eman M. Elshaikh refers to a common saying in the US State Department in the Cold War: “Where hunger goes, communism follows.” What does this mean, and how did this concern help launch the Green Revolution?
3. How did the Green Revolution differ in different regions in its adaptation and its results?
4. What were some of the methods and results of the Green Revolution?
5. What are some of the critiques of the Green Revolution?

After you watch

1. Using evidence from this article, explain how the development of new technologies changed the world from 1900 to the present.
2. Why is it important to consider the Green Revolution when answering the question “Explain the extent to which new global connections and innovations brought change in different parts of the world from c. 1900 to today”?
3. There is still ongoing debate about the policies and the legacy of the Green Revolution, and some new policies and technologies have continued to emerge in ways that are similar to the Green Revolution. Based on the video and your understanding of geopolitics in the Cold War and today, how do you think we can best measure whether it was a success?