Editing Green Revolution (section)

====Quality of diet====

Some have challenged the value of the increased food production of Green Revolution agriculture. These monoculture crops are often used for export, feed for animals, or conversion into biofuel. According to [[Emile Frison]] of [[Bioversity International]], the Green Revolution has also led to a change in dietary habits, as fewer people are affected by hunger and die from starvation, but many are affected by [[malnutrition]] such as [[iron deficiency|iron]] or [[vitamin A deficiency|vitamin-A deficiencies]].<ref name="inwent.org" /> Frison further asserts that almost 60% of yearly deaths of children under age five in developing countries are related to malnutrition.<ref name="inwent.org" />

The strategies developed by the Green Revolution focused on fending off starvation and were very successful in raising overall yields of cereal grains, but did not give sufficient relevance to nutritional quality.<ref name=SandsMorris2009>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sands DC, Morris CE, Dratz EA, Pilgeram A| title=Elevating optimal human nutrition to a central goal of plant breeding and production of plant-based foods. |journal=Plant Sci |year=2009 |volume=177 |issue=5 |pages=377–89 |pmid=20467463 |doi=10.1016/j.plantsci.2009.07.011 |pmc=2866137 | bibcode=2009PlnSc.177..377S |type=Review}}</ref> High yield cereal crops have low [[Protein quality|quality proteins]], with [[essential amino acid]] deficiencies, are high in [[carbohydrate]]s, and lack balanced [[essential fatty acid]]s, [[vitamin]]s, [[mineral]]s and other quality factors.<ref name=SandsMorris2009 />

High-yield rice, introduced since 1964 to poverty-ridden Asian countries, such as the [[Agriculture in the Philippines|Philippines]], was found to have inferior flavor and be more [[Glutinous rice|glutinous]] and less savory than their native varieties, causing its price to be lower than the average market value.<ref>{{cite book |author=Chapman, Graham P. |chapter=The Green Revolution |title=The Companion to Development Studies |publisher=Arnold |location=London |year=2002 |pages=155–159}}</ref>

In the Philippines the heavy use of pesticides in rice production, in the early part of the Green Revolution, poisoned and killed off fish and weedy green vegetables that traditionally coexisted in [[Paddy field|rice paddies]]. These were nutritious food sources for many poor Filipino farmers prior to the introduction of pesticides, further impacting the diets of locals.<ref name="rice-robbery">{{cite book |author=Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas |url=http://www.collectivetech.org/apc/sites/default/files/IRRI_Resource%20Kit_Final_SIBAT_0.pdf#page=21 |title=The Great Rice Robbery: A Handbook on the Impact of IRRI in Asia |publisher=[[Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-983-9381-35-1 |editor=Victoria M. Lopez |location=Penang, Malaysia |access-date=8 August 2011 |display-editors=etal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725184419/http://www.collectivetech.org/apc/sites/default/files/IRRI_Resource%20Kit_Final_SIBAT_0.pdf#page=21 |archive-date=25 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>