Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug to speak on agriculture technology and combating hunger |
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08 July 2003 ATTENTION: Writers covering genetically modified crops, agriculture and environment |
Contact:
Sarah Yang
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WHAT
Norman Borlaug, winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on alleviating hunger in developing nations, will give a free public lecture on agricultural development and the environment at the University of California, Berkeley. He will also be available for media interviews about genetically modified crops, agricultural technology and combating hunger upon prior arrangement with UC Berkeley's Office of Public Affairs.
WHEN
The lecture is 7:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, July 10
WHERE
Room 145, Dwinelle Hall, near UC Berkeley's Sather Gate
WHO
Borlaug was awarded the Nobel for his work in cultivating disease-resistant dwarf wheat crops that dramatically increased yields in developing countries. His work, which formed the basis for the Green Revolution, helped triple cereal production in Asia since the mid-1960s and helped keep millions of people from starving.
In a speech given in 2000 at a Nobel anniversary ceremony, Borlaug said "both conventional breeding and biotechnology" will be needed to feed the projected population of 8.3 billion people in 2025. "I believe that it is important for governments to fund significant programs of biotechnology research in the public sector," he said.
Borlaug, now a professor of international agriculture at Texas A&M University, created the World Food Prize in 1985 to recognize significant achievements in improving the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world.
DETAILS
Borlaug's lecture is sponsored by UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources as part of the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program. The summer program, established at the campus's Center for Sustainable Resource Development, brings together dozens of environmentalists from around the world for a three-week course on sustainable environmental management.