GREEN REVOLUTION, NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY AND THE CHALLENGE OF PESTICIDE DEPENDENCE IN INDIA: A CRITICAL REVIEW WITH AN APPRAISAL OF AGROHOMOEOPATHY AS A COMPLEMENTARY SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

Abstract

The Green Revolution, launched in India in the mid-1960s, converted a chronically food-deficient country into a producer of cereal surpluses and became closely tied to national-security thinking after the wars of 1962, 1965 and 1971 and the food-aid dependence of the mid-1960s. The same package of high-yielding varieties, synthetic fertilisers, irrigation and agrochemicals has, however, left a legacy of soil degradation, groundwater depletion, biodiversity loss, pest resistance and pesticide-related health risks. This narrative review traces the historical and strategic origins of the Green Revolution, summarises its achievements and ecological costs, and analyses the emergence of pesticide dependence in Indian agriculture. Established alternatives, namely integrated pest management, organic and natural farming and precision agriculture, are discussed, followed by a critical appraisal of AgroHomoeopathy, the use of potentised (ultra-diluted) homeopathic preparations to modulate plant growth and stress responses. Published systematic reviews of plant-based bioassays report statistically significant effects in a subset of well-controlled experiments, and some phytopathological and field studies are encouraging. However, effect sizes are generally small, replication has been inconsistent (including reversal of effect direction), field-scale evidence is limited, and a mechanism compatible with established physical chemistry has not been demonstrated. AgroHomoeopathy is therefore best regarded as a low-input, low-risk candidate for rigorous, pre-registered, multi-site evaluation as an adjunct within integrated pest management, and not yet as a validated substitute for proven crop-protection measures. A staged research and policy agenda is proposed.