Agricultural growth and 'trickle-down' reconsidered : evidence from rural India

This paper analyses the legacy of the ‘green revolution’ in rural India, going beyond the economic sphere to take into account the comprehensive impact of State-guided development strategies on the lives of ordinary people. Based on information collected during fieldwork in North India, it aims to provide a more finely differentiated picture ofthe nature andramifications of the ‘green revolution’ in the countryside, as well as giving making suggestions for future policy reform. The first section situates the ‘green revolution’ strategy in the broader politicaleconomic context. The second (and more detailed) part addresses some of the contradictionsthe gap between increases in production and growing landlessness and rural poverty- with illustrations from a village case-study.