Rural Developing Country

• IR8 rice


  Quick growing, produces 3-4 times as much rice
• India has more to export boosting the Gross National Product of the country
• Less dependence on food aid. Reduced malnutrition
• Golden Rice, modified with enhanced vitamin A. 14 million children under five suffer clinically from this deficiency, which can cause childhood blindness. Therefore, health has improved
• The new seeds are not as tall so they can withstand the rain and wind so harvests are more reliable
• The new seeds are more disease resistant. Therefore, less wastage making the farmers more money
• The new seeds need a lot of fertilisers and pesticides to grow which increases cost and pollution
• They require more irrigation which increases farmers costs and puts pressure on drinking stores
• There are health and environmental concerns over GM crops
• Poorest farmers cannot afford new seeds so they are unable to compete, many have had to sell their land and move to cities. Some farmers have borrowed money to pay for new seeds/fertilisers and are now in debt
• Improved efficiency. Increased profits because crop yields are higher/ more rice for export
• Less wages to pay. More money to spend on health and education. Cooperatives are set up to share cost of machines
• More land used because hedges/trees removed for machines resulting in more profits
• Machines can use biofuels from animal waste which is cheaper and environmentally friendly
• Solar pumps aid irrigation transferring water from rivers/wells, this lengthens the rice growing season increasing yields
• Fewer workers due to mechanisation-results in unemployment. Migration to cities increasing the growth shanty towns
• Widens wealth gap. Poor farmers cannot afford machines or parts when they break down. Cost of fuel high-debt
• Noise and air pollution
• Poor irrigation can cause, salinization the build up of salts this makes the soil infertile and crops fail, reducing incomes
• Fertilisers improve crop growth and crop yields/profits. Increasing farmers wages, resulting in more for sale/export
• Pesticides protect them from diseases resulting in less waste and increasing profits
• Pollution chemicals(nitrates) run off into rivers leading to algae growing and the oxygen levels in the river fall affecting wildlife. There are also concerns over health risks to humans
• Farming has become less sustainable(farming is causing damage to the environment and putting extra pressure on the land) Soil quality becomes poorer over time
• Cost of fertilisers puts some farmers into debt
• It is environmentally friendly causing less pollution than fossil fuels
• Biogas made from raw materials such as recycled waste, therefore saves money, increasing profits for farmers
• It is sustainable source of energy
• More machines can be used with the biogas which makes production of crops easier
• Increased yields due to biogas fuels being used to power irrigation and machines
• Certain fuels like ethanol are corrosive and cannot be used in planes and boats which can cause damage to some engines
• It costs money to research the use of the biofuels
• Some areas more soil erosion has occurred because plants are being removed for fuel
• Some people are reluctant to change
• Advantages of Genetically Modified Crops

  • New seeds are quick growing(IR8 rice) produce 3-4 times as much rice. Increasing incomes and living standards.
  • India has more to export boosting the Gross National Product of the country.
  • Less dependence on food aid. Reduced malnutrition.
  • New seeds can be produced to be rich in nutrients. Golden Rice, modified with enhanced vitamin A. 14 million children under five suffer clinically from this deficiency, which can cause childhood blindness. Therefore, health has improved.
  • The new seeds are not as tall so they can withstand the rain and wind so harvests are more reliable.
  • The new seeds are more disease resistant. Therefore, less wastage making the farmers more money.
• Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Crops

  • The new seeds need a lot of fertilisers and pesticides to grow which increases cost and pollution.
  • They require more irrigation which increases farmers costs and puts pressure on drinking stores.
  • There are health and environmental concerns over GM crops.
  • Some new varieties of HYV rice are not as pleasant to eat.
  • Poorest farmers cannot afford new seeds so they are unable to compete, many have had to sell their land and move to cities. Some farmers have borrowed money to pay for new seeds/fertilisers and are now in debt.
• MODERN TECHNOLOGY (machinery)

  e.g. a rice planting machine, mini tractor, motorised plough
• Advantages of Modern Technology

  • Improved efficiency. Increased profits because crop yields are higher/ more rice for export.
  • Less wages to pay. More money to spend on health and education. Cooperatives are set up to share cost of machines.
  • More land used because hedges/trees removed for machines resulting in more profits.
  • Machines can use biofuels from animal waste which is cheaper and environmentally friendly.
  • Solar pumps aid irrigation transferring water from rivers/wells, this lengthens the rice growing season increasing yields.
  • Increase in jobs machine factories.
• Disadvantages of Modern Technology


  • Fewer workers due to mechanisation-results in unemployment. Migration to cities increasing the growth shanty towns.
  • Widens wealth gap. Poor farmers cannot afford machines or parts when they break down. Cost of fuel high-debt.
  • Noise and air pollution
  • Poor irrigation can cause, salinization the build up of salts this makes the soil infertile and crops fail, reducing incomes.
• Advantages of Fertilisers and Pesticides

  • Fertilisers improve crop growth and crop yields/profits. Increasing farmers wages, resulting in more for sale/export.
  • Pesticides protect them from diseases resulting in less waste and increasing profits.
  • Green manuring is more sustainable this involves ploughing plant remains into the soil after harvesting.
• Disadvantages of Fertilisers and Pesticides

  • Pollution chemicals(nitrates) run off into rivers leading to algae growing and the oxygen levels in the river fall affecting wildlife. There are also concerns over health risks to humans.
  • Farming has become less sustainable(farming is causing damage to the environment and putting extra pressure on the land) Soil quality becomes poorer over time.
  • Cost of fertilisers puts some farmers into debt.