#BorlaugBlog
For 30 years, the World Food Prize has worked to build on the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug, the man who saved a billion lives, by recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Our Laureates, our close partners, and our staff work tirelessly to alleviate hunger through innovative approaches, and we hope to share their expertise, research, and personal stories on The Borlaug Blog.
In the Borlaug Blog, we will occasionally post a blog featuring stories, research, and expert opinion from our Laureates, partners, youth representatives and staff. It is our hope that this blog series will create a conversation between farmers, NGOs, CEOs and people across the globe.
Why the World Food Prize is Important to Me
By Mark Gee posted on
04/22/2019
at 11:43 AM
Why is the World Food Prize important to me? The answer begins with the World Food Prize Symposium in 2006 when I was ten. My parents told my brother and me, “People from around the world are coming to Des Moines, and we are going to meet them.” I was...
#RememberingBorlaug at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
By Christy Leema posted on
04/15/2019
at 8:00 AM
One major global issue that continues to pose a challenge is persistent hunger and poverty. Dr. Norman E. Borlaug’s path-breaking work to address the problem of world hunger led to the green revolution in India. Professor M. S. Swaminathan, founder of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the...
Building a Future for All
By Kody Olson posted on
04/08/2019
at 8:00 AM
“If I have anything to contribute to this world, I’m going to play that card and I’m going to play it hard.” –Dr. Norman E. Borlaug
Growing up in rural Iowa being a deaf farm boy came with a lot of tough lessons. One of the most important things that I...
Building “Team Borlaug” Through the Global Farmer Network
By Mary Boote posted on
04/01/2019
at 8:00 AM
For Norman Borlaug, it was always about the farmers.
He loved to meet them, talk with them, work beside them. That’s what he did until the day he died in 2009. His last words, in fact, summed up the focus of his life: “Take it to the farmer.”
I met Dr. Borlaug...
Happy Birthday Norm
By Ambassador Kennith M. Quinn posted on
03/25/2019
at 8:00 AM
When we started The Borlaug Blog in 2016, it was a way to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the World Food Prize, to write down the stories of our hunger fighters and tell the world about our founder, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug and I did not imagine that my idea...
Seek What They Sought
By Paxton WIlliams posted on
03/18/2019
at 8:00 AM
On Oct. 15, 2002, Dr. Norman Borlaug delivered the Inaugural Borlaug Lecture at Iowa State University. I was one of hundreds in the room that evening. His words inspired us, educated us, chastised us, and caused us—or at least I can speak for myself, caused me—some discomfort. There was still...
Remembering Dr. Norman E. Borlaug - He Would be 105 Years Old this Month
By Ruth Oniang'o posted on
03/11/2019
at 8:00 AM
“Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world.”
“Yes, Africa has potential, but no one can eat potential.”
The above quotes are by the late world-renowned hunger fighter, philanthropist, scientist,
US Congressional medalist, Iowa born, University of Minnesota educated, Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug.
I present to...
Serendipity
By Ed Runge posted on
03/04/2019
at 8:00 AM
Dr. Borlaug was a very effective communicator not only with other scientists but also with the world’s major decision makers. He particularly enjoyed using certain expressions when communicating with young, upcoming scientists, and I would like to visit with you about only one: “serendipity.” Dictionaries define serendipity as “the faculty...
Honor the Man, Strengthen His Legacy
By Tom Spindler posted on
02/25/2019
at 8:00 AM
“Who’s that statue in the park in downtown Cresco?” I asked a native of Cresco, Iowa. “That’s Norman Borlaug. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, and he’s from here,” was the reply. Really, I thought. I’d never heard of him. I was just beginning my teaching career in...
If You Can't Get It One Way, Try It At A Different Angle
By Gretchen Mohr posted on
02/18/2019
at 8:00 AM
I was thirteen when I met the late Charlotte Borlaug, Dr. Norman Borlaug’s youngest sister. As she chronicled her account of growing up in Cresco, Iowa, with her headstrong brother, she shared the family mantra: “If you can’t get it one way, try it at a different angle.” Dr. Borlaug’s...