“You can’t build a peaceful world on empty stomachs and human misery.” These were the words of Norman Borlaug, who is credited with saving millions of lives and liberating desperate nations using food. In this episode of Johan Norberg’s New and Improved, Norberg shares his story.

Borlaug was an agriculturalist dedicated to eliminating hunger, and his mission took him to remote parts of the world to plant food, often in spite of hazardous risks. His efforts succeeded, liberating countries from famine and even leading them to a surplus of food crops.

Borlaug is also known for developing special strains of wheat and other crops bred to thrive in harsh environments while still yielding large amounts of harvestable food. Amazingly, Borlaug faced powerful opposition and worked to overcome that right up to his death in 2009.