Through dogged determination and impressive vision, one man’s actions have led to filling over a billion people’s bellies. This great man, Norman Borlaug, has been awarded many accolades for his life’s work including winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Through it all, he has remained the humble humanitarian.
Norman Borlaug’s grandfather gave him a piece of advice that resonated deep in his heart: “You’re wiser to fill your head now if you want to fill your belly later on.”
Young Norman grew up loving his family farm in Iowa and took grandpa’s advice by pursuing Master’s and PhD degrees in Plant Pathology and Genetics (1942).
It is interesting to note that Borlaug failed the University of Minnesota entrance exam but was able to get into the school’s newly created two year college and later transfer to the degree program in Forestry. So, my advice to you is don’t let a set-back or failure stop you. It didn’t stop Norman Borlaug.
Borlaug worked at the The Cooperative Wheat Research Production Program in Mexico from the 1940s to 70s. The project was a joint venture by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture. The determined scientist developed strains of high-yield, disease-resistant, semi-dwarf wheat. He also had an epiphany to take advantage of Mexico’s two growing seasons.
Norman Borlaug & George Harrar
But, the project leader at the time, George Harrar, vetoed the idea of moving seeds from one region immediately to another as it was believed that seeds needed time to rest after harvesting. This denial caused Borlaug to resign but his former professor, Elvin Stakman, visited the project, calmed ruffled feathers, and convinced Norman to stay. At last, the double growing season concept was implemented.
Borlaug reminisced, “As it worked out, in the north, we were planting when the days were getting shorter, at low elevation and high temperature. Then we’d take the seed from the best plants south and plant it at high elevation, when days were getting longer and there was lots of rain. Soon we had varieties that fit the whole range of conditions. That wasn’t supposed to happen by the books.”
An amazing example of ‘thinking outside the box’. You gotta love this guy.
Borlaug’s innovative ideas brought Mexico from having a food shortage to producing such a surplus of wheat that the nation became a net exporter of the grain.
This milestone accomplishment inspired Borlaug to continue his work around the world. He visited India in the 1960s when the subcontinent was experiencing widespread famine. He and his research team encountered many obstacles including the region’s cultural objections to new agricultural techniques and the war between India and Pakistan had Borlaug planting while artillery blasts exploded around his ears.
Finally, Borlaug’s stubborn determination paid off; so much wheat grew that there was actually a shortage of resources needed to harvest and store so much crop! Some regions were forced to use school buildings as wheat storage sheds. Pakistan and India became self-sufficient in wheat production in the late 1960s.
At this point, Borlaug’s ability to make inhospitable soil turn out robust, abundant plants was being heralded as a “Green Revolution“.
He has also brought his wheat growing techniques to Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. He has also introduced high-yield varieties of rice to much of Asia.
Norman Borlaug was awarded the 1970 Noble Peace Prize for his contribution to the world food supply but the ever-humble scientist didn’t believe his wife when she told him he had won the renowned accolade saying, “No, I haven’t.” At his Nobel Prize acceptance speech he said, “When the Nobel Peace Prize Committee designated me the recipient of the 1970 award for my contribution to the ‘green revolution’, they were in effect, I believe, selecting an individual to symbolize the vital role of agriculture and food production in a world that is hungry, both for bread and for peace.”
Norman Borlaug has been credited with saving over a billion lives the world over. What a great man, what a great vision.
Oh, but he didn’t stop there, founding the World Food Prize which acknowledges contributions of those who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
Mr Borlaug, can you be my grandpa?
Can you think of ways to help your fellow human beings?
For further info on Norman Borlaug and his life’s work go to Wikipedia’s Norman Borlaug article
And check out these sites: World Food Prize & Nobel Prize.org
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