On this day, March 25, 1914, Norman Borlaug was born.

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Hat tip, Donny Ferguson

Donny Ferguson Retweeted

On what would have been his 109th birthday {in 2023}, tomorrow we'll celebrate Norman Borlaug, #TAMU Distinguished Professor, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient! 🌱 👨‍🌾

His dedication to agronomy has saved billions of lives and his legacy of feeding the world lives on through
@BorlaugTAMU
!

Link to tweet

Norman Borlaug



Born: March 25, 1914; Cresco, Iowa, United States
Died: September 12, 2009 (aged 95); Dallas, Texas, United States
Alma mater: University of Minnesota (B.S., M.S., Ph.D)
Known for: Green Revolution, World Food Prize
Awards:
Nobel Peace Prize (1970)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977)
ForMemRS (1987)
Vannevar Bush Award (2000)
Public Welfare Medal (2002)
National Medal of Science (2004)
Congressional Gold Medal (2006)
Padma Vibhushan (2006)

Norman Ernest Borlaug (/ˈbɔːrlɔːɡ/; March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple honors for his work, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Borlaug received his B.S. in forestry in 1937 and Ph.D. in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942. He took up an agricultural research position with CIMMYT in Mexico, where he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties. During the mid-20th century, Borlaug led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India. As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963. Between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security in those nations.

Borlaug was often called "the father of the Green Revolution", and is credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation. According to Jan Douglas, executive assistant to the president of the World Food Prize Foundation, the source of this number is Gregg Easterbrook's 1997 article "Forgotten Benefactor of Humanity." The article states that the "form of agriculture that Borlaug preaches may have prevented a billion deaths." He was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply.

Later in his life, he helped apply these methods of increasing food production in Asia and Africa.

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New material for 2025:

There used to be such a thing as the Borlaug Fellowship Program. It was run by the US Department of Agriculture. The newest information on the page is from 2024..

Borlaug Fellowship Program

The Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program promotes food security and economic growth by providing training and collaborative research opportunities to Fellows from developing and middle-income countries.

Borlaug Fellows are generally scientists, researchers, or policymakers who are in the early or middle stages of their careers. Each Fellow works one-on-one with a mentor at a U.S. university, research center, or government agency, usually for 8-12 weeks. The U.S. mentor will later visit the Fellow’s home institution to continue collaboration. Fellows may also attend professional conferences and events within their field, such as the annual World Food Prize Symposium.

The Borlaug Fellowship Program honors Norman E. Borlaug, the American agronomist, humanitarian and Nobel laureate known as the “Father of the Green Revolution.” Since the program’s inception in 2004, hundreds of Fellows from across the globe have participated in research and training focused on a wide array of agriculture-related topics, including: agronomy, veterinary science, nutrition, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, natural resource management, agricultural biotechnology, agricultural economics, and agricultural policy. By improving participants' understanding of agricultural science, the program helps foster science-based trade policies that improve international market access for U.S. agricultural products.

How to Apply
Application Deadline: Apr 8, 2024
Status: Closed

Contact
Global Programs
[e-mail]

Mon Mar 25, 2024: On this day, March 25, 1914, Norman Borlaug was born.

Sat Mar 25, 2023, 01:38 PM: On this day, March 25, 1914, Norman Borlaug was born.

Sat Mar 25, 2023, 01:31 PM: On this day, March 25, 1914, Norman Borlaug was born.

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