Agricultural News
AFBF President Bob Stallman Salutes Norman Borlaug on the 100th Anniversary of His Birth
Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:04:35 CDT
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Norman Borlaug, Father of the Green Revolution, Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau, issued the following statement:
"On National Agriculture Day, it is only fitting that we celebrate the installation of a memorial to Dr. Norman Borlaug, the scientist most closely identified with dramatically improving agricultural productivity through development of high-yield, disease-resistant crops. All of agriculture is standing a little taller today, seeing a statue of Dr. Borlaug being placed in the U.S. Capitol. His scientific discoveries and hands-on work to transfer food production technology transformed agriculture all around the world. His work moved farm production from subsistence to the fullest abundance and most importantly, gave nations the tools to feed their people.
"America's farms are the world's most productive in large part because Dr. Borlaug and his successors showed the way to the productivity we enjoy today. America's food and fiber producers honor his legacy through sustainable, ethical and scientifically proven production systems and sound business practices that assure land, livestock and natural resources will be here for future generations.
"Dr. Borlaug is credited with saving more than 1 billion lives; that is simply amazing. His dedication to advancing innovations in food production is testimony to why he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and Congressional Gold Medal and why we can think of no one more deserving of this honor."
Congress will unveil a statue of Norman Borlaug Tuesday, enshrining the "Father of the Green Revolution" in the U.S. Capitol.
Borlaug, who died in 2009 in Dallas, earned the moniker after he developed a disease-resistant, high-yielding wheat strain that helped feed more than one billion starving people across the globe. That accomplishment won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, along with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. The two medals are the highest civilian awards in the country.
The statue will be dedicated on Borlaug's 100th birthday by congressional leaders and Iowa lawmakers.
The statue will join the collection that adorns the halls of the Capitol. By law, each state can have two statues in the building to represent it. Borlaug's statue will replace one of James Harlan, secretary of the interior under President Andrew Johnson. Harlan's statue had resided in the Capitol for more than 100 years.
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