An Example of Innovation: The Grain Miracle

Because International (the name of the parent organization for this blog) is focused on providing innovations for people living in extreme poverty. So much of the developed world has constant innovations to do things faster, better, and more effectively. Yet the majority of those living in extreme poverty in the developing world are still receiving aid and help in very rudimentary ways. We need to focus on innovating unique and practical solutions and updates for the way that we try to help those in need around the world.


One man who found a unique and practical innovation that has changed the lives of countless millions of sustenance farmers in developing nations is Dr. Norman Borlaug. You might not have heard of him before, but he won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the "Grain Miracle".

Basically, the African and Indian and many other farmers in developing countries were having trouble growing a more full and hearty grain. The ability was there for the meat of the grain to be bigger, but that led to a problem. When the grain kernels were large (which would be great because that would lead to a bigger crop), the stalk would become too weak to support it. The entire thing would break off and fall dead to the ground. So farmers were stuck with the normal amount of grain year after year - or even smaller amounts in a drought year.

But then Dr. Borlaug discovered a way to make the stalk fatter and wider. He had created a series of remarkably successful high-yield, disease-resistant, semi-dwarf wheat. This wheat was shorter and wider and stuck closer to the ground. This allowed it to not fall over with a larger amount of kernels. It was a revolution for many sustenance farmer around the world.


These are the innovations that we need. These are the solutions that we seek. This is the mindse that we need to implement again. With all of the technology in the world, with all of the communication, with all of the ability that we have - we need to use it to do good. We need to use it for them. We need to innovation for them.