In an era of war and global terrorism, Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug sees agriculture as an instrument of peace.
Though he’s revered as a peacemaker, this pugnacious 90-year-old is quick to wrestle with procrastinating bureaucrats in third-world countries, and he’s worked tirelessly to convince kings and presidents of the value of his agricultural advancements. These days, Borlaug is speaking out against those who fervently oppose biotechnology, referring to them as “extremist greenies” who have never seen the misery and hopelessness that he’s seen up close.
Borlaug is famous for developing a hearty strain of dwarf wheat in Mexico. He took the new hybrid seeds and fertilizing practices to India and Pakistan to launch the “Green Revolution” of the 1960s, and for that he’s credited with saving a billion lives.
Borlaug is motivated by the sight of starving children who can barely stand on spindly legs — children barely alive, many of whom die. “I hate poverty and misery,” Borlaug said, his boyish face full of anger. “I’ve seen people suffering.”
Amid his busy schedule, Borlaug continues his alliances with agricultural scientists around the world, such as M.S. Swaminathan — India’s most famous scientist. Borlaug is most consumed, however, with his efforts in Africa, where he, former President Jimmy Carter and the Sasakawa family of Japan are trying to bring a new Green Revolution in food production to millions of small-scale farmers. “African food production remains in crisis, even though technology is available to double and triple yields of the major food crops,” he said.
Worldwide, agricultural technology has improved food availability, yet the need remains great: In 2002, the United Nations estimated that about 24,000 people die of hunger-related causes each day around the globe.
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