Rick
09-13-2009, 09:37 AM
Sadly, Norman Borlaug passed away. He was 95.
You might not know his name but there is little doubt you have benefited greatly by his tireless work. He prevented the starvation of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions in third world countries, and started the "Green" revolution.
He started by developing a wheat strain for Mexico that was much more abundant, had a shorter thicker stalk to support the wheat head, and could grow in just about any environment. He was so successful that Mexico went from a wheat importing nation to an exporting one. He accomplished the same thing in Pakistan and India, China and Southeast Asia. Between 1968 and 1970, India doubled it's production based on the variety of wheat he developed.
He would go on to develop several new varieties of cereal grains and train over a million farmers (yeah, a million) in Africa. Cereal grain yields in Africa increased an amazing four fold.
So what does this have to do with the "Green" revolution? He was able to develop those amazing yields on the same land that was previously farmed. Had it not been for Norman Borlaug, we might not have any wilderness lands today. It ALL may have be taken in order to feed the world's population. But with the use of his new seed varieties, as well as inorganic fertizers, hundreds of millions of people were saved from starvation (1.5 million starved in 1965 in Pakistan prior to Borlaug's wheat being planted) and our wilderness lands might have been converted to farmland.
The next time you are out walking in the woods, taken a moment and say a small prayer for Mr. Borlaug. We might condemn fertizers and genetically engineered food but as a very direct result of it, our wilderness lands have been protected and we have an abundant food supply. We may not be lucky enough to see his kind again.
You might not know his name but there is little doubt you have benefited greatly by his tireless work. He prevented the starvation of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions in third world countries, and started the "Green" revolution.
He started by developing a wheat strain for Mexico that was much more abundant, had a shorter thicker stalk to support the wheat head, and could grow in just about any environment. He was so successful that Mexico went from a wheat importing nation to an exporting one. He accomplished the same thing in Pakistan and India, China and Southeast Asia. Between 1968 and 1970, India doubled it's production based on the variety of wheat he developed.
He would go on to develop several new varieties of cereal grains and train over a million farmers (yeah, a million) in Africa. Cereal grain yields in Africa increased an amazing four fold.
So what does this have to do with the "Green" revolution? He was able to develop those amazing yields on the same land that was previously farmed. Had it not been for Norman Borlaug, we might not have any wilderness lands today. It ALL may have be taken in order to feed the world's population. But with the use of his new seed varieties, as well as inorganic fertizers, hundreds of millions of people were saved from starvation (1.5 million starved in 1965 in Pakistan prior to Borlaug's wheat being planted) and our wilderness lands might have been converted to farmland.
The next time you are out walking in the woods, taken a moment and say a small prayer for Mr. Borlaug. We might condemn fertizers and genetically engineered food but as a very direct result of it, our wilderness lands have been protected and we have an abundant food supply. We may not be lucky enough to see his kind again.