Nominee, 2023 Wallace Award, Agricultural History Society
In The Globalization of Wheat, Marci R. Baranski explores Norman Borlaug's complicated legacy as godfather of the Green Revolution. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his role in fighting global hunger, Borlaug, an American agricultural scientist and plant breeder who worked for the Rockefeller Foundation, left a legacy that divides opinions even today. His high-yielding dwarf wheat varieties, known as miracle seeds, effectively doubled and tripled crop yields across the globe, from Kenya to India and Argentina to Mexico due to their wide adaptation. But these modern seeds also required expensive chemical fertilizers and irrigation, both of which were only available to wealthier farmers. Baranski argues that Borlaug's new technologies ultimately privileged wealthier farmers, despite assurances to politicians that these new crops would thrive in diverse geographies and benefit all farmers. As large-scale monocultures replaced traditional farming practices, these changes were codified into the Indian wheat research system, thus limiting attention to traditional practices and marginal environments. In the shadow of this legacy, and in the face of accelerating climate change, Baranski brings new light to Borlaug's role in a controversial concept in agricultural science.

Author: Marci Baranski
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
Published: 11/15/2022
Series: Intersections: Histories of Environment #14
Pages: 256
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.50w x 1.50d
ISBN: 9780822947349


Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2023

About the Author

Marci R. Baranski is an interdisciplinary scientist and historian working in the field of climate change mitigation in agriculture. Since completing her PhD in biology and society at Arizona State University in 2015, Baranski has worked on climate change mitigation policy, research, and implementation in the private and public sectors. She currently works and lives in Bangkok.