Father Of The Green Revolution Norman Borlaug Dies At 95

Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revoluion, has passed away at his home in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 95. Borlaug died from complications of cancer. He was one of only five people who had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was a scientist and humanitarian as well as professor at Texas A&M University.

Norman Borlaug had a Ph.D in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota. He developed disease-resistant, high-yielding varieties of wheat while working in Mexico, and helped avert famine in war-torn South-Asia in the 1960s by introducing his new strain of wheat to the region. In the 1960s, the world faced mass starvation as the population increased, and most believed billions would die, especially in India and Pakistan. But thanks to Norman Borlaug's wheat, Pakistan, which had heavily relied on imported grains, was self-sufficient in 1968, and India had doubled its production. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for saving billions of lives.

Norman Borlaug's work sparked the Green Revolution, during which agricultural techniques and machines were improved and made more effective. The Green Revolution made it possible to grow more crops in smaller areas. Green Revolution ideas rely heavily on pesticides, and has as such received a lot of criticism from environmental organizations.

A memorial service will be held at Texas A&M University on October 6th. It is open to the public.