‘Land grants’ could lead hunger fight
Oct 14, 2009 10:24 AM, By Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff
“One way the success of modern agriculture is reflected is in how much we pay for food. In the 1933, according to USDA ERS, Americans spent more than 25 percent of their income on food. By 1985, that had dropped to 11.7 percent and, in 2000, below 10 percent for the first time in history.
“In contrast, the poorest nations spend 70 percent or more of their disposable income on feeding their families.”
The success of U.S. agriculture spurred the advent of the Asian Green Revolution, helping Borlaug and other scientists convert countries like India from “basket cases to bread baskets,” said Ejeta.
“In my view, the transformative changes brought about by modern agriculture sciences in his native Iowa inspired Norm Borlaug to dream about helping the poor in developing countries overcome hunger with the breakthrough he achieved in wheat genetics.”
Borlaug, he said, saw how the advent of hybrid corn in private sector initiatives in the seed industry and other agribusinesses spurred not only productivity increases on farms but also enhanced the livelihoods of rural Americans. “Fresh from the economic hardship of the Great Depression this must have been an easy lesson for young Norm to take to heart.”
Ejeta quoted from his testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing on global food security last March.
“Norm Borlaug, the universally acknowledged father of the Green Revolution, is a hero to me and very many others. I personally admire his single-minded devotion to science and agriculture development and his unending empathy and service to the poor.
“As I reflect on his accomplishments and leadership, however, in my view, the genius of Norm Borlaug was not in his creation of high yield potential and input responsive wheat varieties. Not even in his early grasp of the technology but to a great extent in his relentless attempts to mobilize policy support and encourage the development of the agro-industry complex, to sustain the synergistic affects of technology, education and markets.”
e-mail: flaws@farmpress.com
