|
|
October 05 - 2009: Asia condoles the passing away of Dr. Norman Borlaug
“Food is a moral right of all who are born into this world.” Nobel Laureate Norman Ernest Borlaug, credited with saving millions of people from starvation with his disease-resistant wheat, died September 12 at his home in Dallas at the age of 95. Called the father of the “Green Revolution”, Borlaug’s work with the Wheat Research and Production program in 1944 introduced scientific techniques that prevented famine in Mexico. He continued to pioneer the field of international agriculture aggressively researching techniques that brought nations in Latin America, Asia and Africa from the brink of starvation and onto the road to self-sufficiency. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the stability of regions plagued by hunger and starvation.
In 1984, Borlaug became a distinguished professor of international agriculture at Texas A&M University’s department of soil and crop sciences, dedicating his career to employing science to combat international hunger. During his tenure, he divided his time between teaching and continued research and participation in global efforts against world hunger. In 2006, the agriculture institute at the university was named after him. Asia has joined the rest of the world in condoling the passing away of Nobel laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Father of Green Revolution. A thoroughbred scientist and a true humanitarian to the core, Dr. Borlaug stepped up to the behemoth task of stymieing the march of starvation. His groundbreaking invention of high-yielding and disease/drought resistant wheat strains catapulted humankind way ahead in the race against mass starvation. His success is like a glowing ballad of one man’s herculean feat to making the world a better place for his co-terrestrials. By assuring the most basic of human needs, he gave a chance to millions of humans to aspire for higher things in life. His method of systematic cross-breeding has become the modus operandi for innumerable researchers from all around the world. Agrarian countries in Asia like China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been major beneficiaries of Dr. Borlaug’s approach. Dr Borlaug was a professor at Texas A&M University. His legacy lives on in Aggieland through the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture which employs agricultural science to feed the world's hungry, and to support equity, economic growth, quality of life, and mutual respect among people. The Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh said in his obituary, “…At a time in the sixties when the country was facing the spectre of severe food shortages, the introduction of Dr. Borlaug's high yielding varieties of seeds set in motion a technological revolution in Indian agriculture that led eventually to the country achieving self-sufficiency in food grains…. On behalf of a grateful nation, I convey my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Norman Borlaug.” News coverage from Asia:
The Times Of India:
|
||
|
Compact With Texans -
Privacy Statement -
Legal Notices -
Statewide Search -
Accessibility Policy (Reader) |
|||
© 2002-2009 All rights reserved, Texas A&M University Trademark | Webmaster | Maintained by the Institute for Pacific Asia Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 |
|||
