Norman Borlaug Quotes

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Norman Borlaug

Profession : Scientist

Birth : March 25, 1914

In my Nobel lecture, I suggested we had until the year 2000 to tame the population monster, and then food shortages would take us under. Now I believe we have a little longer.

Norman Borlaug

Unless progress with agricultural yields remains very strong, the next century will experience sheer human misery that, on a numerical scale, will exceed the worst of everything that has come before.

Norman Borlaug

Man seems to insist on ignoring the lessons available from history.

Norman Borlaug

Almost certainly, however, the first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind.

Norman Borlaug

Therefore I feel that the aforementioned guiding principle must be modified to read: If you desire peace, cultivate justice, but at the same time cultivate the fields to produce more bread; otherwise there will be no peace.

Norman Borlaug

The destiny of world civilization depends upon providing a decent standard of living for all mankind.

Norman Borlaug

The forgotten world is made up primarily of the developing nations, where most of the people, comprising more than fifty percent of the total world population, live in poverty, with hunger as a constant companion and fear of famine a continual menace.

Norman Borlaug

I am but one member of a vast team made up of many organizations, officials, thousands of scientists, and millions of farmers - mostly small and humble - who for many years have been fighting a quiet, oftentimes losing war on the food production front.

Norman Borlaug

During the past three years spectacular progress has been made in increasing wheat, rice, and maize production in several of the most populous developing countries of southern Asia, where widespread famine appeared inevitable only five years ago.

Norman Borlaug

Nevertheless, the number of farmers, small as well as large, who are adopting the new seeds and new technology is increasing very rapidly, and the increase in numbers during the past three years has been phenomenal.

Norman Borlaug

Cereal production in the rain-fed areas still remains relatively unaffected by the impact of the green revolution, but significant change and progress are now becoming evident in several countries.

Norman Borlaug

For, behind the scenes, halfway around the world in Mexico, were two decades of aggressive research on wheat that not only enabled Mexico to become self-sufficient with respect to wheat production but also paved the way to rapid increase in its production in other countries.

Norman Borlaug

There are no miracles in agricultural production.

Norman Borlaug

Unless there is one master gene for yield, which I'm guessing there is not, engineering for yield will be very complex. It may happen eventually, but through the coming decades, we must assume that gene engineering will not be the answer to the world's food problems.

Norman Borlaug

The breakup of the former Soviet Union has caused its grain output to plummet, but if the new republics recover economically, they could produce vast amounts of food.

Norman Borlaug

These places I've seen have clubbed my mind - they are so poor and depressing. I don't know what we can do to help these people, but we've got to do something.

Norman Borlaug

If the world population continues to increase at the same rate, we will destroy the species.

Norman Borlaug

It's amazing how often campaigners in rich countries think poor people don't get backache.

Norman Borlaug

Africa needs roads. Roads bring know-how and fertilizer to farmers and ideas and business for commerce.

Norman Borlaug

Roads are essential to any type of agricultural development.

Norman Borlaug