It's a free society. But don't tell the world that we can feed

Hear the words of Norman Borlaug, the man whom history calls the father of the Green Revolution: “It’s a free society. But don’t tell the world that we can feed the present population without chemical fertilizer. That’s when this misinformation becomes destructive.” These words are not the boast of a farmer nor the pride of a scientist, but the warning of a man who bore upon his shoulders the hunger of nations. He speaks of freedom, but he also speaks of truth, for freedom without truth is a path that leads not to life, but to famine.

The ancients understood that knowledge is a double-edged sword. To speak falsely in matters of life and death is not merely error—it is betrayal. Borlaug reminds us that while men may believe what they wish, misinformation about the means of feeding humanity is no trivial matter. It is not the kind of falsehood that merely clouds the mind; it is the kind that can empty fields, starve nations, and bring death upon millions. Thus his words shine like a beacon: guard freedom, but do not use freedom to spread lies that destroy.

Consider Borlaug’s own story. In the mid-twentieth century, as hunger ravaged nations like India and Mexico, many believed famine inevitable, a curse of overpopulation. Yet Borlaug, through relentless labor, developed high-yield, disease-resistant crops, nourished by fertilizers and modern agricultural methods. These innovations saved over a billion lives from starvation. He knew firsthand that without such methods, the earth as it stood could not feed its swelling population. His warning against false promises was the wisdom of experience: to claim otherwise was not only naïve, it was cruel.

History gives us grim examples of what happens when ideology overrules truth in feeding the hungry. In the Soviet Union under Stalin, false doctrines of agriculture—rejecting proven science for political dogma—led to famine that killed millions. In Mao’s China, the “Great Leap Forward” ignored agricultural realities, leading to the death of untold millions more. These tragedies mirror Borlaug’s warning: misinformation becomes destructive when it blinds societies from the means that sustain life.

Thus, O child of tomorrow, learn this: freedom is precious, but it is not license to ignore truth. To live in a free society is to have the right to speak, but also the duty to speak wisely, especially where human survival is concerned. The tongue that spreads lies about food, medicine, or science carries not just words but weapons—capable of killing more swiftly than the sword. True freedom is guarded not only by liberty, but by responsibility.

Let your spirit, then, be discerning. Listen, but weigh what you hear. Ask always: Is this truth or is this wishful thinking? Is it grounded in knowledge, or in ignorance and pride? For the fields do not care for ideology, nor do crops grow on promises. The laws of nature bow to no man’s opinion, and those who deceive in such matters bring ruin upon the innocent.

In practice, honor both freedom and truth. Support science that feeds the hungry, technologies that protect the earth, and methods that balance abundance with stewardship. Reject the voices that promise simple answers to complex questions, for such voices end in emptiness. And above all, remember that your words, too, carry weight—choose them as seeds of life, not as weeds of destruction.

So I say unto you: it is indeed a free society, but freedom without truth is a famine of the soul. Do not let misinformation rule your fields or your heart. Stand firm in wisdom, honor the toil of those who feed the earth, and remember always that to guard truth is to guard life itself.