Routledge Europe's Green Revolution and Others Since: The Rise and Fall of Peasant-Friendly Plant Breeding: 57 (Routledge Explorations in Economic History)

How best to foster agricultural development in the Third World has long been a subject of debate and from a European perspective the persistent failure to design peasant-friendly technology is puzzling. From the late 19th century, for example, various western European countries also underwent ‘green revolutions’ in which systematic attempts were made to promote the adoption of technological innovation by peasant-farmers. This book focuses on the development of public-sector plant-breeding in Germany from the late nineteenth century through its fate under National Socialism. Harwood uses this historical case study in order to argue that peasant-friendly research has an important role to play in future Green Revolutions. Review "This book makes the connection between European agricultural history and the experience of developing countries, and shows how fascinating, informative, and revealing the linkage can be." - Paul Brassley, University of Exeter, UK "Too few academics attempt to fill the gaps between disciplines. Jonathan Harwood sheds light on the potential for a 2nd generation Green Revolution to improve the lives of small farmers in developing countries by appealing to the history of plant breeding in 19 and early 20 century Europe." - Carrie A. Meyer, George Mason University, USA About the Author Jonathan Harwood is Emeritus Professor if the History of Science and Technology at the University of Manchester,UK.