Green revolutions reconsidered : the rural world of contemporary Punjab

In recent decades developing economies have generally experienced greater inequality and environmental damage with population growth often eating into productivity gains. This volume describes how post-green revolution Punjab constitutes the sole example where:

rising population has not inundated the cities

agricultural intensification has not degraded the environment

increasing agricultural productivity has generated real rise in agricultural incomes across the board

a growing rural resource base has steadily upgraded the physical, social and educational infrastructure in the countryside

The book demonstrates that the process of development in Punjab has resulted from long-term policy initiatives and programmes. Thus, instead of a mass movement into a haphazard urban informal sector located in city slums, there has been a systematic movement of industry out of the cities. This has created an urban-rural continuum that combines the best of both worlds. Above, all, it has also yielded a 'greening' of the environment, with increased reforestation and tree coverage.

The experience of Punjab indicates the possibility of 'leap frogging' intermediate stages of economic and social development to create what might potentially be called the developing world's first post-industrial rural society.

The book will be an indispensable resource for students and researchers of agricultural economics, history, development, and environment studies, and policy-makers.