Norman Borlaug

Notable Quotes

"More than any other person of this age, he helped provide bread for a hungry world." — Nobel Committee, 1970

from Angus Deaton: How Billions Were Lifted from Poverty · Updated Feb 5

"You can't build a peaceful world on empty stomachs and human misery." — Norman Borlaug

from The great farm exodus · Updated Jan 22

"During the past three years spectacular progress has been made in increasing wheat, rice, and maize production in several of the most populous developing countries of southern Asia, where widespread famine appeared inevitable only five years ago." —Nobel Lecture, 1970

from The 99% drop: how humanity became almost disaster-proof · Updated Jan 22

Stories

Angus Deaton: How Billions Were Lifted from Poverty

Built World

Deceased (2009)

In 1820, more than 80% of the world's population lived in extreme poverty. By 2019, that figure had fallen to 8.9% at the then-$2.15/day line—a decline of roughly 0.35 percentage points per year sustained across two centuries. In June 2025, the World Bank adopted 2021 purchasing power parities (PPPs), raising the extreme poverty line to $3.00/day; this revised the 2022 rate upward to 10.5% (838 million people) but projects a decline to 9.9% (808 million) by 2025, continuing the historic trend through post-pandemic recovery.

Updated Feb 5

The great farm exodus

New Capabilities

Deceased (2009)

In 1900, 41 percent of Americans worked on farms. Today, fewer than 2 percent do—yet agricultural output has more than tripled. The tractor, combine harvester, and chemical fertilizer didn't just change farming; they triggered the largest peacetime migration in American history, sending tens of millions from fields to factories and reshaping the nation's economy, culture, and landscape.

Updated Jan 22

The 99% drop: how humanity became almost disaster-proof