The Viking in the Wheat Field: A Scientist's Struggle to Preserve the World's Harvest
The visionary Danish plant scientist and pioneering seed banker Bent Skovmand found his calling at the University of Minnesota, following in the footsteps of Dr. Norman Borlaug, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for launching the green revolution. Borlaug brought Skovmand to the Center for Improvement of Maize and Wheat in Mexico in 1976. There Skovmand, concerned about the perils of monoculture and global warming and the patenting of plant genetic resources by corporations, began his quest to create what Dworkin calls “agriculture’s public library.” He spearheaded an international effort to collect and preserve as many crop seeds as possible and make them available to farmers the world over. Skovmand went on to direct Nordgen, which manages the so-called Doomsday Vault, where crop seeds are banked in case of a catastrophe. Dworkin vividly portrays Skovmand and a remarkable group of similarly ardent plant protectors; crisply relates little-known yet compelling, frequently dicey tales of agricultural discovery and rescue; and explains with passion and acuity why it’s so very important to preserve the planet’s plant genetics. --Donna Seaman