BioVision Alexandria Panel Commemorates Borlaug's Legacy

BioVision Alexandria was held on 8 April 2014 in Alexandria, Egypt organized by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and World Life Sciences Forum to provide a platform for exchange of information and dialogue so as to explore the different ways in which life sciences can help meet the challenges facing us in the 21^st century. Part of the program was a panel discussion on "Norman Borlaug and the Green Revolution: The Next Hundred Years" which is focused on food and agriculture and appreciation of Nobel Peace Laureate, Dr. Normal Borlaug.

The panel was chaired by Dr. Malcolm Elliott, Founding Director of The Norman Borlaug Institute. He said that aside from being identified as the "Father of the Green Revolution", Dr. Borlaug is also considered as the "rock star" of the agricultural science who saved a billion people from starvation through his innovative research in improving wheat varieties. The panel highlighted the opportunities and the challenges of cutting edge science to enhance crop production. Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Egypt) shared his unforgettable memories with Dr. Borlaug when they used to work on the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) project in 1986. Through the project, the yields of maize and sorghum in African countries were doubled. He said that Dr. Borlaug used to tell him "It is what in your heart that counts".

Dr. Clive James, Emeritus Chair and Founder of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications told more inspiring stories about Dr. Borlaug. "He dared more than others thought wise, he dreamed more than others thought real, he rescued more than other thought save, he expected and anticipated what others thought impossible, Norman Borlaug loved the impossible", he said about Dr. Borlaug. Dr. James was a long-time associate of Dr. Borlaug and dedicated ISAAA Brief 46 ("Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops 2013"), to Dr. Borlaug as the founding patron of ISAAA. He added that for more than 50 years, Dr. Borlaug helped provide more food to the most needed areas of the world. Thus, Dr. Borlaug's passion is an inspiration for others to follow.

As part of the centenary celebrations of the birth of Dr. Borlaug, Dr. James presented the ISAAA Centennial Borlaug Emblem to three distinguished scientists who have done a great deal to fed the world of tomorrow. Dr. Ismail Serageldin, a source of knowledge not only for Egypt but for the world; Dr. Malcolm Elliott, for establishing The Norman Borlaug Institute (UK) and Dr. Richard Flavell, who was the loyal secretary for ISAAA Board for several years and the Chief Scientific Advisor of Ceres Inc. Thousand Oaks, California (USA).

"What we need is courage by the leaders of those countries where farmers still have no choice but to use older and less effective methods ", Clive concluded.

 
(left to right) Drs. Richard Flavell, Clive James, Ismail Serageldin, and Malcolm Elliott presenting the ISAAA Borlaug Emblem during the panel discussion in BioVision Alexandria

For more information, please visit http://www.bibalex.org/bva2014/Home/Home.aspx or contact Dr. Naglaa Abdallah at nabdallah@e-bic.net.