Along came a determined scientist, Norman Borlaug. Instead of handwringing, he aggressively helped innovate new, better varieties of wheat, rice, and maize. These new dwarf plants differed from existing varieties because less energy was used in the stalk and more energy went into the grains themselves. As a result, grain yields increased spectacularly, food prices dropped, and Borlaug’s “green revolution” probably saved a billion people from starvation.
