Tom Latham: “Dr. Norman Borlaug is an American superhero that few people have ever heard of. Dr. Borlaug's campaign to save the lives…”

“Dr. Norman Borlaug is an American superhero that few people have ever heard of. Dr. Borlaug's campaign to save the lives of the world's neediest people through agricultural science deserves special recognition. How many lives has he saved? Dr. Borlaug's innovative leadership in plant breeding and agricultural production is credited with saving the lives of nearly 1 billion people from starvation. That is right: one billion souls. In 1994 he was given the task of researching high-yield and disease- resistant cereal grains. Through trial and error, Dr. Borlaug's successful efforts led to the development of varieties of wheat that completely altered production agriculture as it was known then in places like Pakistan and India and Mexico. The dwarf wheat variety he developed allowed farmers to produce far more grain per acre than anyone could have predicted. This newfound bounty gave the world's poorest people access to food, ensuring that children, who would have been victims of malnutrition, could thrive. His landmark discoveries in agriculture led to what is called today the ``Green Revolution.'' Dr. Borlaug is a legendary figure within the agricultural community, and his name is held in high regard around the world.…”