‘Father of Green Revolution’ Receives Congressional Gold Medal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Founder of the World Food Prize and “Father of the Green Revolution,” received the Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest civilian honor on July 17 in a ceremony the U.S. Capitol.

With receipt of the award, Borlaug, 93, became one of only five people in all of history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. The other four are Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

At the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal, President George W. Bush pointed to Borlaug as a testament to the idea that “one human being can change the world.”

“Norman Borlaug has lived his life with urgency,” Bush said. “He has long understood that one of the greatest threats to global progress is the torment of human hunger.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recalled President John F. Kennedy declaring in 1963 that, “The war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.”

“No person, before or since, has done more to answer the call to help liberate the world from hunger,” said Pelosi. “ As such, Dr. Borlaug is one of the greatest liberators the world has ever known.”

The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Professor M.S. Swaminathan, a long-time colleague and friend of Dr. Borlaug and the first World Food Prize Laureate.

Calling Borlaug, who grew up on an Iowa farm, “one of the greatest Americans and humanists of all times,” Swaminathan highlighted the impact of Dr. Borlaug’s work in India.

“The impact of the Borlaug-led Green Revolution symphony will be clear from the fact that during 1964-68, Indian farmers increased wheat production in four years by an order greater than that achieved during the preceding 4,000 years,” Swaminthan said.

Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa summed up Dr. Borlaug’s contributions to humanity by saying “Norman Borlaug has saved more lives than any other person in history.”

According to Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, it was more than scientific savvy that led to Dr. Borlaug’s achievements.

“Many in this room see Norman Borlaug as a great scientist, a great agronomist, a great humanitarian,” said Harkin. “I see a great persuader — a man who, time and again, overcame political and cultural challenges in order to spread his revolution first in Asia, then in South America, and now in Africa.”

“His work changed production agriculture, as we know it today,” said Rep. Leonard Boswell of Iowa.

It was on Mexican research stations and farmers’ fields that Dr. Borlaug developed successive generations of wheat varieties with broad and stable disease resistance, broad adaptation to growing conditions across many degrees of latitude, and with exceedingly high yield potential.

These new wheat varieties and improved crop management practices transformed agricultural production in Mexico during the 1940s and 1950s and later in Asia and Latin America, sparking what today is known as the “Green Revolution.”

At the ceremony, Borlaug stressed the importance of continuing the fight against hunger.

“We need better and more technology, for hunger and poverty and misery are very fertile soils into which to plant all kinds of ‘isms,’ including terrorism,’’ he said.

Borlaug’s challenge appeared to have been taken up by President Bush.

“The most fitting tribute we can offer this good man is to renew ourselves to his life’s work, and lead a second Green Revolution that feeds the world, and today we’ll make a pledge to do so,’’ Bush said.

Borlaug is believed to have saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived —more than a billion — through his work in agriculture. He is widely credited with ushering in the “Green Revolution,” the greatest period of food production in human history.