It's a name most of us in agriculture have encountered at one time or another - Norman E. Borlaug. The pioneer of the 'green revolution' brought forth his ideas and hard work and determination to help prevent famine, and succeeded. The work he did from Mexico to India brought modern agriculture to parts of the world that were struggling to feed its people. And pretty much headed off what many say would have been widespread famine.

Borlaug knew the power of crop genetics combined with the right farming system could feed people and provide a livelihood for more than those living on small subsistence farms. He worked fast, in field-sized trials, to teach and show others the value of short-stature wheat and how it could outyield saved-seed varieties some of those farmers may have used for generations.

The work extended to rice as well, pushing up yields and adding food to bellies and income to farmers' wallets.

It's easy in hindsight for groups to attack the green revolution for using too much fertilizer or for allowing some farmers to get ahead of others. Yet that's truly missing the forest while focusing on the trees. The need for true agricultural systems that provide the potential from farm to plate is what Borlaug saw in his work.

The coverage I've heard and listened to since Dr. Borlaug passed away late Saturday night (Sept. 13) has touched on how he worked as much on the politics of a region as on its agriculture. He saw the need to not just grow the food, but help farmers move it to healthy markets where surpluses could be sold for income. And in India and parts of Asia this model worked.

Borlaug's work in genetics was without the benefit of modern transgenic technologies - which some who read this may applaud. He talked about that technology and marveled at the potential it holds for higher yields (which corn farmers can already attest to). Yet Borlaug had one frustration: Africa.

This ag pioneer went to Africa to work on ways to bring modern agriculture to the region and what he found was a non-existent market system; no infrastructure to bring in supplies or ship crops to a market; a lack of any working markets in some countries; and eventually a pretty potent package of challenges to recreating the green revolution here.

While efforts are again underway to boost agriculture in Africa - from an electronic grain market in Ethiopia, to infrastructure improvements in other countries - the work has a long way to go. Borlaug, who was 95 when complications of cancer took his life, didn't live long enough to see it. I'm hoping I do.

Goodbye Dr. Borlaug. And thanks for all the food.