After several major famines in the 1950s and 1960s, the main focus of agricultural development during the following two decades was on achieving food security and preventing hunger in developing countries. These challenges spurred the Green Revolution, characterized by the adoption of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties, which doubled or even tripled crop yields in a matter of 20 years. Without the Green Revolution, millions of people would have died of hunger and undernourishment. Policy played a critical role, creating incentives for farmers and supporting them with investments in irrigation, market infrastructure, and storage facilities.