Norman Borlaug made the world a better place

Dr. Norman Borlaug, who turned 95 in March, died Saturday. (See this post for a bit more about Dr. Borlaug, including two good videos.)

There is much that could be said about this man, but perhaps this sums it up well:

"Norman E. Borlaug saved more lives than any man in human history," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program. "His heart was as big as his brilliant mind, but it was his passion and compassion that moved the world."

He was known as the father of the "green revolution," which transformed agriculture through high-yield crop varieties and other innovations, helping to more than double world food production between 1960 and 1990. Many experts credit the green revolution with averting global famine during the second half of the 20th century and saving perhaps 1 billion lives.

"He has probably done more and is known by fewer people than anybody that has done that much," said Dr. Ed Runge, retired head of Texas A&M University's Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a close friend who persuaded Borlaug teach at the school. "He made the world a better place — a much better place."

The Borlaug Institute has posted a memorial page here, and you can leave your memories of Dr. Borlaug here (click on "comments" to read or post).

For a good history on Dr. Borlaug, read this piece from the Atlantic. While written more than a decade ago, it is a very comprehensive piece. Wikipedia also has a good history here.

A good obituary from the Dallas Morning News can be found here.