Today would have been the 101st birthday of Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution.
Borlaug got his start with DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware, prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t until 1944, when he participated in the Rockefeller Foundation’s pioneering technical assistance program in Mexico as a research scientist that he started working to improve wheat.
It was on research stations and farmers’ fields of Mexico that Borlaug developed successive generations of wheat varieties with broad and stable disease resistance, broad adaptation to growing conditions across many degrees of latitude and with exceedingly high yield potential.
Because of his achievements and efforts to prevent hunger, famine and misery around the world, it is said that Borlaug has saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived.
Members of the seed and agriculture industries marked the occasion on Twitter today with a variety of tweets honoring the man and his invaluable work.
For some perspective from Borlaug’s granddaughter, Julie Borlaug, check out this article that appeared in the February issue of Seed World.
We're honored that #NormanBorlaug served on our board 1994-2003. Retrospective by @AmitRoyIFDC on Borlaug's impact: http://t.co/pZcyQo3DEz
— IFDC (@IFDCGlobal) March 25, 2015
Today marks the 101st anniversary of the birth of Dr. Norman Borlaug! Let’s honor him by ending hunger and poverty worldwide #FeedTheWorld
— CIMMYT (@CIMMYT) March 25, 2015
Norman #Borlaug saved 1 billion people. Will we build on his legacy? http://t.co/VkolNi3LpP #GMO @WorldFoodPrize pic.twitter.com/Yym0jmGQti
— Iowa Farm Bureau (@IowaFarmBureau) March 25, 2015
On Dr. Borlaug's 101st birthday, how are we doing solving a solvable global challenge? All ideas, talents, and tools are needed. #science
— Borlaug Foundation (@BorlaugHunger) March 25, 2015
It's grandfather's 101st birthday, let's end hunger & poverty @BorlaugHunger @globalrust @WorldFoodPrize @CIMMYT @FeedtheFuture @USDA
— Julie Borlaug (@JulieBorlaug) March 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/IAHungerSummit/status/580803940117319681
Happy birthday and thank you, #NormanBorlaug.
“Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world.” -NB pic.twitter.com/oqWkWTSQEX— NIFA (@USDA_NIFA) March 25, 2015
