Norman E. Borlaug was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for developing methods to help the world's poorest nations feed themselves. Born of Norwegian descent, Dr. Borlaug was raised near Cresco, a small farming community in northeast Iowa. He earned a B.S. in forestry and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology from the University of Minnesota. From 1942 to 1944, Dr. Borlaug worked as a microbiologist for E.I. Dupont de Nemours Foundation, in charge of research on industrial and agricultural bactericides, fungicides, and preservatives.

In 1944, Dr. Borlaug joined the Rockefeller Foundation's pioneering technical assistance program in Mexico, where he was a research scientist in charge of wheat improvement. It was on the research stations and in the farmers' fields of Mexico that Dr. Borlaug developed dwarf, high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat varieties. These high-yielding varieties and improved crop management practices transformed agricultural production in Mexico and later in Asia and Latin America--sparking what today is known as the "Green Revolution".

In 1985, Dr. Borlaug created the World Food Prize, which today is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Today, Dr. Borlaug still serves as Chair of its Council of Advisors. He currently splits his time as a senior consultant to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico and as Distinguished Professor of International Agriculture at Texas A&M University. He holds honorary doctoral degrees from 50 universities and memberships in 17 academies of science worldwide.

Dr. Borlaug is on campus as the featured speaker for the 2003 Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program, a unique educational opportunity for mid-career environmental professionals established in 2000 with a generous gift from Richard and Carolyn Beahrs.

This event took place on July 10, 2003 at UC Berkeley.

Click here to also view a conversation from July 9, 2003 between Borlaug and Paul Ludden, Dean of the College of Natural Resources entitled "Norman Borlaug: Thoughts on Science & Education"