College Station, Texas
March 9, 2009
Thomas Jefferson once said “every
generation needs a new revolution.”
If that is so, then Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the original
Green Revolution, is inviting this generation to begin a second,
more extensive, rebellion against world hunger.
“The Green Revolution hasn't been won yet,” said Borlaug, who
will turn 95 later this month. “Developing nations need the help
of agricultural scientists, researchers, administrators and
others in finding ways to feed ever-growing populations."
A Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Congressional Gold Medal
recipient, Borlaug has been credited with saving more lives than
anyone in history. His work has led to breakthrough high-yield,
disease-resistant wheat harvests in Mexico, India, Pakistan and
countries throughout Latin America, Africa and the Near and
Middle East. As a result, hundreds of millions of people have
been provided with an otherwise unavailable food supply.
“The Food Security Act of 2009 can lead the way in starting a
second Green Revolution by helping improve agriculture and food
security in developing countries,” Borlaug said.
The Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act was recently introduced
by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and was developed with bipartisan
support from Sen. Robert Casey, D-Penn. Lugar described the bill
as a “more focused effort on our part to join with other nations
to increase yields, create economic opportunities for the rural
poor and broaden agricultural knowledge ...” and said it could
begin a new era in U.S. diplomacy.
Borlaug added that in a second Green Revolution U.S. land-grant
institutions would play an important role in contributing to
worldwide food security.
He noted that land-grant institutions, such as
Texas A&M University, where he
has been a distinguished professor since 1984, provide
developing countries with technical assistance, educational
outreach, improved technology and agricultural practices,
scientific training and research, and hands-on instruction.
“The forgotten world is made up primarily of the developing
nations, where most of the people, comprising more than 50
percent of the total world population, live in poverty, with
hunger as a constant companion," Borlaug said. "Land-grant
institute efforts are essential in helping people around the
world achieve a more lasting food security.”
He added that, as global interdependence and the world food
crisis continue to grow, so does the importance of these
institutions in helping poor and developing countries gain
better economic and social stability through agriculture and
agribusiness.
“Even though my grandfather will be 95 years old later this
month, his desire and effort toward resolving world food
security issues and inspiring others to join him in that effort
hasn’t diminished one bit over the years,” said Julie Borlaug,
manager of external relations for the Norman Borlaug Institute
for International Agriculture at Texas A&M University.
The Borlaug Institute currently leads or plays a significant
role in international agriculture projects in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Rwanda, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Guatemala, El Salvador and other
foreign countries. Many of these efforts are funded by the U.S.
Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense
or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Dr. Borlaug's agricultural achievements to combat hunger have
saved countless lives and inspired others to follow in his
footsteps," said U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, who supported a
bill to award Borlaug the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest
civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. government.
When Borlaug was awarded the medal in 2007, he said he hoped it
would “help inspire young professionals to get involved in
helping solve the world food crisis.”
Borlaug remains active as an advocate for world food security.
He continues to lecture at Texas A&M and serves as a mentor for
participants in the Borlaug Fellows Program, established in his
honor in 2004 by the USDA.
The Borlaug Fellows Program brings foreign students, scholars,
scientists and policymakers to the U.S. to train and collaborate
with American agricultural experts.
“The world owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Borlaug, and we at
the institute that carries his name are glad to be involved in
his efforts to help initiate a second Green Revolution to bring
greater worldwide food security,” said Dr. Edwin Price, director
of the Borlaug Institute. |
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