Norman BorlaugBirth Chart

Norman Ernest Borlaug was an American agronomist and biologist. He was famous for his work to combat hunger around the world.

He graduated in Agronomy from the University of Minnesota in 1942, specializing in genetics and plant pathology. After obtaining his Ph.D. in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942, Borlaug worked as an agricultural researcher in Mexico, where he developed a high-yielding semi-dwarf wheat variety resistant to fungal diseases. As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat in 1963. Borlaug then introduced high-yielding varieties and modern agricultural production techniques in Pakistan and India. Between 1965 and 1970, wheat production nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, considerably improving those countries' food security.

These mid-20th-century increases in agricultural productivity and production were called the Green Revolution. It is estimated that Borlaug's work saved between 245 million and 1 billion lives from starvation worldwide. In recognition of his contribution to world peace through increasing the food supply, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Later, he helped apply these food production methods in Asia and Africa. Borlaug advocated the use of the technical-scientific methods of the Green Revolution and, later, biotechnology to reduce world hunger.