The program helps developing countries strengthen sustainable agricultural practices by providing short-term scientific training and collaborative research opportunities to visiting researchers, policy makers and university faculty while they work with a mentor.  The program targets developing countries and places participants at land-grant universities and 1890's colleges, government agencies, international research centers and other nonprofit institutions and private companies. The Borlaug Fellowship Program was launched in March 2004 in honor of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, who has often been hailed as the father of the Green Revolution.  In 1970, Dr. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize for his success in developing high-yielding wheat varieties and reversing severe food shortages that haunted India and Pakistan in the 1960's.  Credited with saving millions of lives, his work virtually eliminated recurring famines in South Asia and helped global food production outpace population growth.

The program is open to participants worldwide, but focuses on African, South and Central American and Asian nations.  The program is administered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of State.

For more information on Norman E. Borlaug, please click here.