Yuan Longping, the Father of Hybrid Rice, Dies at 91

Yuan Longping, the noted Chinese agronomist, was long celebrated around the world for his discovery of a strain of hybrid rice in 1973, which recorded an annual yield 20% higher than ordinary rice, which meant that China could feed an extra 70 million people a year, thereby ensuring China’s ability to feed its growing population. Yuan and his team worked with dozens of countries around the world to address issues of food security as well as malnutrition.