Norman Borlaug
(College Station)—The U.S. House voted Dec. 7 to award Norman Borlaug a Congressional Gold Medal for his lifelong efforts to combat world hunger.
In September, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted to change name of the university's Office of International Agriculture to the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture in his honor.
"I am humbled and honored to be considered for the Congressional Gold Medal for my work in building peace through feeding the hungry," said Borlaug, a 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner and “father of the green revolution.” "I have always said that peace cannot be built on empty stomachs, and I'm glad that the institute that bears my name shares that vision."
Borlaug joined the Texas A&M department of soil and crop sciences in 1984 as a distinguished professor. For many years, he split his residency to teach at the university in the fall and conduct agricultural research in Mexico during the spring.
Currently, he is a lecturer at the Academy for Future International Leaders at Texas A&M University and a host for the Borlaug Fellows Program, which was established in his honor in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program provides scientific training to researchers, policy makers and university personnel from developing countries throughout the world.
Borlaug, who was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2004, spent decades in various Third World countries researching and working toward the development of a high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat.
"This work led to breakthrough wheat harvests in Mexico, India, Pakistan and countries throughout Latin America, Africa and the Near and Middle East," said Edwin Price, associate vice chancellor for international agriculture at the Borlaug Institute. "As a result, hundreds of millions of people, many of whom were starving, were provided with a significant and otherwise unavailable food supply."
"Dr. Bourlag's agricultural achievements to combat hunger have saved countless lives and inspired others to follow in his footsteps," said U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, who supported the bill to award Borlaug the medal. The bill next must be signed into law by the President.
"My grandfather hopes this award will help bring further attention to the need to feed the world's hungry," said Julie Borlaug, associate manager of donor relations at the Borlaug Institute. "In particular, he'd like it to help inspire young professionals to get involved in helping solve the world food crisis. The green revolution hasn't been won yet, and developing nations need the help of agricultural scientists, researchers, administrators and others in finding ways to feed ever-growing populations."
The institute will build on Bourlag's legacy of employing agricultural science to feed the world's hungry, Price added.
"It will also help promote economic growth, parity and mutual respect among people and nations," he said.
We are planning programs that will allow foreign students, scholars, scientists and leaders to come to the U.S. to train and collaborate with American agricultural experts, Price said.
"The world owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Borlaug, and we at the institute
that carries his name are glad he is being further recognized for his many
humanitarian efforts," Price said. "He is truly an international
hero and we are proud to continue his vision through our work here." 