Dr. Norman Borlaug grew up on a small farm in the northeastern Iowa town of Cresco. He is considered by some to be one of the greatest humanitarians of all time.

After completing his high school education in Cresco, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota, and then returned to receive his master’s degree in plant pathology, and then his doctorate.

Noel Vietmeyer wrote a book called “Borlaug; The Mild-Mannered Maverick Who Fed a Billion People.”

In all reality, this is an understatement of Borlaug’s achievements because without his work more than a billion people would have starved.

Continued research in grain and livestock technology is important to feed the growing world population.

David Acker, associate dean for academic and global programs for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said, “The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is heavily involved in countries throughout the developing world. One example is the work of the college’s Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in alleviating hunger in an isolated, rural area in East Africa.”

On Oct. 14, the second annual Iowa Hunger Summit was held because of all the great work Borlaug partakes in around the world to help decrease world hunger.

A number of speakers were there to help continue the fight against world hunger.

A number of special guests were there including the former Senator and 1996 Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, as well as former Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern.

 In their bi-partisan work together these two men are co-recipients of the prestigious World Food Prize.

Dole served on the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition working with McGovern to help pass the Food Stamp Reform Act of 1977.

They both voted for The National School Lunch program, and the Food for Peace legislation helping school kids get the nutrition they need, as well as helping to acquire food for overseas developing nations.

Maynard Hogberg, chair of the department of animal science, said, “The way we can have the greatest impact on providing affordable food to the world population is through improved efficiency of production, an example would be in the dairy industry where we have made great strides in improving the pounds of milk produced per cow.

 In the past 50 years we have increased milk production from 8,000 pounds per cow to over 20,000 pounds per cow through genetic selection and improvements in nutrition and health, and we have seen a similar trend in swine with an improvement of two pigs per litter weaned during the past 50 years.”

Again, this has been a result of improved genetics and the adoption of technologies.

This improvement has resulted in a surplus of food produced in the U.S., which has been exported to other countries at a reasonable and affordable price.

According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, in the flood of 1993 — considered a 100-year flood — the national average yield was 100 bushels per acre, but now in the flood of 2008 — considered a 500-year flood — the national average corn yield is expected to average 154 bushels per acre.

These improvements in yields would not be possible without seed technology. It is important with all the demand for our grain, and with improvements plants, to be able to handle environmental stress.

If we are going to continue the vision of Dr. Norman Borlaug, we have to continue research into new technologies in the grain and livestock industries.

 Without plant-breeding technology, Borlaug wouldn’t have been able to provide higher yielding wheat to the people of Mexico, Pakistan and India, to name only a few.

Technology has to play a major role in the future if we are going to continue to feed a growing world population.