Which is a major criticism of the Green Revolution?

• A. Increased local farming autonomy
• B. Universal improvement of biodiversity
• C. Decreased fertilizer use and lower yields
• D. Environmental damage from chemical inputs and reliance on high-yield seeds

Answer: (D)

The key idea behind the Green Revolution criticisms is that, although crop yields rose, they did so through heavy reliance on scientific breakthroughs and big-input farming, which brought environmental and social costs. The major concern is environmental damage from chemical inputs—intensive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can degrade soils, contaminate water, harm non-target organisms, and lead to pest resistance. In addition, the push for high-yield, monoculture varieties increased dependence on expensive seeds and inputs from outside companies, creating economic vulnerability for farmers and reducing their control over farming decisions.

That combination—environmental harm from chemicals and dependence on high-yield seeds—best captures why the Green Revolution is criticized. The other options don’t fit: it didn’t strengthen local farming autonomy (it often did the opposite), biodiversity generally did not universally improve (biodiversity often declined due to monocultures), and fertilizer use and yields did not both decrease (yields increased while fertilizer use rose).