by Chas Bonner
Because genetically modified foods always create controversy, and because a little controversy always spices our lives, we decided to wade into the subject, doing some research on the “Father” of GMO foods, Norman Borlaug who recently died at age 95.
Borlaug’s family emigrated from Norway in the mid-1800’s and eventually settled on a 107 acre farm in Iowa. After high school, Borlaug decided to go to college rather than stay on the farm, due largely to his grandfather who told him “You’re wiser to fill your head now if you want to fill your belly later on.” At the University of Minnesota, he was very interested in forestry until persuaded that he should study plant pathology and special plant breeding methods.
Borlaug graduated at the beginning of World War II, and went to work as a microbiologist for DuPont where he discovered new glues that could withstand salt-water corrosion, and therefore enabled delivery of foods and gear to troops in the South Pacific.
After the war, the U.S. government began helping Mexico increase food production as Mexico could not feed its population. Borlaug left his DuPont job, despite huge money offers from the company, and went to Mexico for the next 30 years, working on countless wheat and grain productivity efforts. By cross-breeding, selective gene production, crossing hybrids with newer generations, he was able to create disease resistant grains and stronger wheat stalks that pulled Mexico out of a food deficit.
Norman Borlaug was still working on new strains in Mexico in 1970 when notified that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize for probably saving much of mankind. One of the most remembered quotes of Borlaug, when criticized for creating “Franken Foods” was “We are 6.6 billion people now. We can feed only 4 billion. I don’t see 2 billion volunteers to disappear.”
With the world’s population is expected to top out at 9.1 billion in another 40+ years. In spite of deep reservations by many, regarding GMO foods, it is a safe assumption that without such technology, we would see mass starvation. The world has a limited supply of arable land, a limited supply of water, and to feed this world, productivity must increase, and increase dramatically.
What we truly need is more Norman Borlaugs.
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Posted by: essay | August 31, 2011 at 12:50 AM