Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

October 11, 2002

Borlaug to present first annual Borlaug lecture

by Teddi Barron
Norman Borlaug, the native Iowan who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for a lifetime of work to feed a hungry world, will present the first annual Borlaug Lecture at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15. His talk, "Feeding a World of Ten Billion People: Our 21st Century Challenge," will be in the Memorial Union Sun Room. It is free and open to the public.

In 1944, Borlaug began work as a research scientist in a pioneering technical assistance program in Mexico. For the next 16 years, he worked to solve a series of wheat production problems that were limiting wheat cultivation. Borlaug developed new wheat varieties and improved crop management practices that transformed agricultural production in Mexico and later in Asia and Latin America. His work sparked what today is known as the "Green Revolution."

Borlaug also is the founder of the World Food Prize, an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human developments by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

A reception will precede the lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. Undergraduate and graduate students conducting research related to World Food Prize themes will display posters.

The World Food Prize organization is based in Des Moines. A series of lectures and academic programs will be held at higher education institutions in Iowa each October at the time of the World Food Prize presentation and symposium. The Borlaug series honors Borlaug's accomplishments and highlights contributions of those who have worked toward the goal of a nutritious and sustainable food supply for all people.

In coming years, Iowa State's Borlaug Lecture will feature a previous World Food Prize winner or a leader in research related to World Food Prize themes.