Vilsack, H. Clinton praise Borlaug

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday praised the late Norman Borlaug's work in alleviating world hunger.

In a joint statement, the two U.S. officials lauded the Nobel laureate's pioneering agricultural research that led to the so-called green revolution that improved the lives of millions of people worldwide.

"Dr. Borlaug's passion for harnessing science to provide meaningful benefits in people's daily lives continues to inspire us as we work to meet the global challenges posed by disease, hunger, and poverty," Clinton and Vilsack said. "His life-long commitment to the developing world and the broad impact of his work demonstrate the important role that science must play in achieving global progress."

Borlaug, who died Saturday in Dallas at age 95, also was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Only Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Elie Wiesel have been similarly honored with all three awards.

The Iowa native's plant research and efforts to increase food crop productivity resulted in high yields that "helped feed people far beyond our borders, especially growing populations in developing countries in Latin America and Asia," Vilsack and Clinton said.