Many people believe that technology is neutral, and that good or bad results depending on the people who use it. A knife, for example, is very useful and indispensable for cooking, but deadly as a weapon. However, this general idea is not always true. Technology has a character which is based on the background and notions of those who innovated and developed it. Some technologies require less energy, only locally available resources and are environmentally sound (e.g. appropriate technologies). Others require much energy, external inputs and are destructive to the environment (e.g. nuclear plant). Every technology influences its environment somewhat when it is introduced. A technology which depends on external resources and has a major monetary requirement creates a large impact on society (community) and this impact is usually negative for poor people. The Green Revolution (chemical agriculture) is an example of the latter. The social problems created are discussed below.

3.3.1 Creating Gap between Rich and Poor

This is the major problem which is criticized in many developing countries. The causes are mainly two. One is that it was only rich people who could use the Green Revolution technology in the initial stages when resources and facilities were limited. They had enough money to purchase external inputs (agricultural chemicals) and social power to access facilities (e.g. government subsidies for irrigation). There was little scope for small farmers to use the technology. The other relates to the characteristics of chemical agriculture. It can sustain increased yield (2 - 5 times of local variety yield) and give profits for about 10 years is too short for the adapted farmers, but long enough to create the gap between the adapted (rich) and the non-adapted (poor).

3.3.2 Creating Dependency

When farmers start chemical-agriculture, they need materials and know how. But both the necessary materials and the know how are from outside. The materials (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.) are factory products. The know how has been introduced by agricultural scientists and has no relation to local knowledge or traditional farming system, and rather, denies that local knowledge. In these ways, chemical agriculture is making farmers dependent on others (outside) materially and mentally. Consequently, farmers are losing their independence and confidence which are most important for them to solve their problems.

Further, internationally, developing countries are becoming more dependent on foreign aid countries (industrialized countries) which give aid in the name of assistance for developing chemical agriculture and selling agricultural inputs. Another aspect of foreign aid for promoting chemical agriculture is to create markets for agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, pesticide, irrigation facilities and machines.

3.3.3 Losing the Traditional Farming

System and Knowledge Traditional farming systems, regarded as out of date and unscientific by agricultural scientists, are disappearing year by year. Farmers are becoming convinced that there is chemical fertilizer for soil fertilization and chemical pesticide for pest control. If there are other problems, then they go to their agricultural extension worker for help. Traditional farming knowledge is being lost.

Evaluating the traditional farming system, we find that it is based on ecologically sound agricultural methods. For example, farmers used to grow Dhaincha (Sesbania aculata) for 1 - 2 months and mix it with the soil for soil fertilization. The Dhaincha is a fast growing leguminous crop which supplies nitrogen to the soil. Farmers did not know that Dhaincha fixes nitrogen but they understood its effectiveness. There were many traditional methods in soil fertilization, pest management, cropping pattern, etc. All these methods are environmentally sound wi8th low external inputs, stable and sustainable.

If agricultural scientists could realize the importance of the traditional farming system and try to improve agricultural methods based on it, it would be a really helpful contribution for farmers and for the country. Unfortunately, they regard traditional farming methods as out of date and unscientific. Consequently local knowledge is being lost.