norman borlaug: “america’s albert schweitzer”

From the frivolous to the amazing, from Mrs. Obama and $20 organic arugula to Norman Borlaug, arguably the greatest American of the 20th century who died last week. Gregg Easterbrook in the WSJ writes” He was America’s Albert Schweitzer: a brilliant man who forsook privilege and riches in order to help the dispossessed of distant lands. That this great man and benefactor to humanity died little-known in his own country speaks volumes about the superficiality of modern American culture.”

And if he is known he is villified by the green warriors and agri-intellectuals because he used science to feed the world. As an agronomist, Borlaug developed the high-yield, low pesticide “dwarf” wheat upon which a substantial portion of the world’s population now depends for sustenance.

In 1950, as Borlaug began his work in earnest, the world produced 692 million tons of grain for 2.2 billion people. By 1992, with Borlaug’s concepts common, production was 1.9 billion tons of grain for 5.6 billion men and women: 2.8 times the food for 2.2 times the people. Global grain yields more than doubled during the period, from half a ton per acre to 1.1 tons; yields of rice and other foodstuffs improved similarly. Hunger declined in sync: From 1965 to 2005, global per capita food consumption rose to 2,798 calories daily from 2,063, with most of the increase in developing nations. In 2006, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization declared that malnutrition stands “at the lowest level in human history,” despite the global population having trebled in a single century.

But listen up, people have been fed the wrong way — the scientific way! The greenwarriors want us all, including the wretched of the world, to put on smocks, take up hoes — then food will be grown the right way. Not enough food? Say, haven’t you heard, we eat too much.