With the deaths of so many high profile entertainers this year, the main stream press seems to have missed the death of the most important man in modern history. In defense of the media, the man was not particularly interested in becoming a celebrity, nor was he focused on becoming a well known scholar, although he was one of the most brilliant scientist and scholars in history. In the less glamorous field in which he worked,  and among his friends and associates he was known as a hero. In point of fact, he was a hero, and according to the United Nations, he was responsible for saving more lives than any other man in history. The U.N. took not of his work, and so did the Nobel Prize Committee, which awarded him the prestigious Peace Prize in 1970.

Who is this important man you have never heard of? Norman Borlaug, humanitarian, scientist, agronomist, and yes, hero! Borlaug’s work in plant science developed strains of wheat, rice, and other grains which are responsible for saving the lives of  a billion people.

Borlaug’s work not only increased world food production, but also removed many social and ethnic inequalities, and reduced deforestation, since more food could be grown on less acreage, fewer acres of native forest and plains land needed to be disturbed for food production.

Critics of Dr. Borlaug’s work called his genetically altered grains “Franken Food”. Fans of lower population growth, felt that increasing food supply would cause an increase in population. He was accused of forcing upon developing nations a capitalist agenda. There were other criticisms, but the fact remains, that a billion people who would have died, lived as a result of his work. Dr. Borlaug once stated, “some of the environmental lobbyists of the Western nations are the salt of the earth, but many of them are elitists. They’ve never experienced the physical sensation of hunger. They do their lobbying from comfortable office suites in Washington or Brussels. If they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as I have for fifty years, they’d be crying out for tractors and fertilizer and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things”

U.N. director, Kofi Annan’s words at his death are a fitting summary:

“As we celebrate Dr. Borlaug’s long and remarkable life, we also celebrate the long and productive lives that his achievements have made possible for so many millions of people around the world… we will continue to be inspired by his enduring devotion to the poor, needy and vulnerable of our world.”

Enough said.

For more on Dr. Borlaug’s life and work, including his many awards, accomplishments, and accolades, see: Norman Borlaug

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