Foreword [Volume 14 No. 5 (2014)]

As we release issue 65, we continue to focus on late Dr Norman Borlaug and his amazing work of the 60’s that credited him with saving millions from starvation. That was the period dubbed the Green Revolution. But then into the 21st century, he planted a seed in Africa. Before I continue let me say how pleased we are to have 8 exceptional papers that have been rigorously peer reviewed. We also have many relevant reprints and announcements in this issue and news of interest. Please see below:

My observation is that all of a sudden, there is a lot of interest on many fronts. First, there seems to be urgent concern that we need to do something, and anxiety as to what that something is. I believe in this 100th year of Norm Borlaug’s birth, he is talking to us and wondering why we act as if we are not concerned; he is urging us to do something.

As I write this Foreword for issue 65, I am attending the 17th Congress of the International Union of Food Science and Technology. Our first keynote address, the distinguished lecture, was delivered by Dr Brian Keating of CSIRO Australia who two thirds into his speech, dwelt on the work of Dr Borlaug and played a video script which he said was released by his granddaughter, Julie Borlaug. We saw the same video script in Uganda when Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) celebrated Dr Borlaug’s 100th birthday in Uganda.

Anyway, Brian Keating’s keynote was a wonderful opener even as he admitted that he is not often invited to a Food Science Forum. He nonetheless so ably made the link between agriculture (his own discipline), food and nutrition security, health and sustainable development.

I will later highlight some of the meetings I have been associated with in the recent past.

Brian Keating’s message was that in the first century of Borlaug’s birth, we have benefited from the green revolution: major increases in yields. It was necessary to be able to address global hunger. In the second century we clearly need a rainbow revolution, of increased diverse foods to give us a healthy diet for health and wellness, while sustaining the environment. He concluded by urging us to continue the conversation. I believe we are all looking for answers. The congress had a lot of young people, making oral and poster presentations, keenly engaged and ready to make a difference in this “troubled “world.

Continuing with SAA news, our Borlaug celebrations in Uganda last month were truly successful. There is so much about Dr Borlaug that we shall continue to honour him in the journal until we attend the ultimate celebrations in Des Moines, Iowa in October 2014. The Uganda celebrations were attended by:

- President Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, former President of Benin
- Ms Jeanie Borlaug Laube, daughter of Dr Norman Borlaug
- Ms Julie Borlaug Laube, granddaughter of Dr Norman Borlaug
- Ambassador Dr Rhoda Tumusiime, Africa Union Commissioner in Charge of Agriculture
- Mr Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation
- Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation
- Dr John Hardman, former Executive Director of the Carter Center and representing President Jimmy Carter, and Laura Hardman.
- Dr Amit Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer of IFDC who has also graciously agreed to join the Sasakawa Board
- Members of the SAA Board, staff from all the countries we work in, representatives of our development partners and, many Ugandans from all walks of life: school children, farmers, academics and public servants. We extend appreciation to all who contributed to the success of the event.

Another meeting I attended was IFAMA (International Food Agribusiness and Management Association) in Cape Town, South Africa. I went to receive the 2014 IFAMA Distinguished Service Award. This was the first time the meeting was being held in Africa in its 25 years of existence.

The IFAMA Congress is annual, and focuses on linking young people interested in agribusiness with industry; it is also a mentoring program. Students attend with their students and compete for various awards. Here, too, I interacted with very enthusiastic young people who are ready to change the world. We old ones need to be ready to mentor and encourage them. I have carried comments from some of them after listening to my acceptance speech for the award. It was an amazing experience, and taught me once again that many groups of people are working hard out there to address current and future global challenges.

So, meeting after meeting, there are running themes: we need to do something for young people; we need to be holistic in our approach and try as much as possible to collaborate (farmers, scientists, civil society, industry, policy makers and governments and media) if we have to find solutions to an ever growing world population; we need to pay attention to food quality and safety’; we need to address food waste and loss; and ensure that whatever we do, we should take sustainability into account. And, we need science.

Ruth Oniang’o
Editor-in-Chief, AJFAND