On December 10, 1970, the former chair of the Nobel Committee, Aase Lionaes, called Norman Borlaug to receive the Nobel Peace Prize arguing, âHe has given us a well-founded hope, an alternative of peace and of life â the Green Revolution.â
From that moment, Borlaug became known as âthe man who saved one billion livesâ from famine and as âthe father of the Green Revolution.â Borlaug started a pivotal process in the 20th century, characterized by the development of high-yielding new wheat and maize varieties from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
âFood is the moral right of all who are born into this world,â Borlaug said during his acceptance speech or Nobel Lecture almost 50 years ago. The scientist, credited for coining the phrase âYou canât build peace on empty stomachs,â became the worldâs most acknowledged advocate of the right to food.
The Nobel Peace Center, the government of Mexico â through its Embassy in Oslo, Norway â and CIMMYT remembered Norman Borlaugâs legacy to commemorate the International Day of Peace on September 21. Established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly, this day calls to halt all forms of violence for 24 hours and to strengthen the ideals of peace, including Sustainable Development Goal number 2, âzero hunger.â
âDr. Borlaugâs impact is an example of international cooperation for us to learn from and build the future,â said Ulises Canchola GutiĂ©rrez, Mexicoâs Ambassador to Norway, in the video Borlaugâs legacy: Agriculture for Peace #PeaceDay 2020.
According to the Nobel Peace Center, âDr. Norman Borlaugâs work is one of the greatest achievements for humankind.â On a similar note, CIMMYTâs director general, Martin Kropff, noted that âPeace lies in the hands of those who cultivate the land. We can build peace through agriculture.â
CIMMYT carries on Borlaugâs legacy by implementing integrated strategic development projects that aim to transform food production units into sustainable, resilient and healthy agri-food systems. For that reason, CIMMYT issued a call to form an international coalition to tackle the current crisis and avert a new food crisis.
âNorman Borlaug led the charge in the war against hunger more than 50 years ago; let us learn from this experience, let us do it again together by listening to the current crisis and by developing a matching transformative answer to overcome todayâs challenges and shortcomings,â said Bram Govaerts, director of CIMMYTâs Integrated Development program and representative for the Americas.