embassy events 2009
Dr. Norman Borlaug, Father of the “Green Revolution,” Passed Away
15 September 2009
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| Dr. Norman Borlaug |
On September 12, 2009,
Dr. Norman Borlaug passed way at 95 years old. He was and American agronomist, plant scientist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1970) who has been called the father of
The Green Revolution. His works had a great impact on the lives of millions around the world. His breeding of high-yielding wheat varieties helped to avert mass famines. Borlaug continually advocated the use of his methods and biotechnology to decrease world famine. U.S. Embassy Warsaw’s Counselor for Agriculture Eric Wenberg said that Mr. Borlaug’s passing would be felt strongly in Poland—since the inception of the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program in 2004, six young Polish scientists have received
scholarships funded by USDA and the World Food Prize Foundation. These doctoral students traveled to the United States over the last two years to work with major molecular biologists and geneticists for plant and animal sciences. Afterwards, the American scientific mentor traveled to Poland to work with the scientist in their own lab.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement on the passing of Dr. Borlaug, which stressed that Dr. Borlaug was a determined, dedicated, but humble man who believed we had the collective duty and knowledge to eradicate hunger worldwide. His efforts saved millions of lives and inspired thousands to dedicate their lives to doing the same. For full text of the statement, please click here.
