Arguably, no living person has done more than M. S.
Swaminathan to improve the lives of the poor and
the marginalized. His monumental contributions to
India’s Green Revolution are documented elsewhere.
In this paper, I focus sharply on two little-chronicled
bodies of his work: (1) the IRRI Cambodia programme
which guided and supported that conflictaffected
country to achieve rice self-sufficiency and
exporter status; and (2) the United Nations Hunger
Task Force which fundamentally changed global
thinking about hunger and food security by going beyond
productivity improvement to include nutrition,
social safety nets, natural resource management, and
an enabling policy environment. Both cases illustrate
the power of international collaboration and a commitment
to inclusive and sustainable development.
The Sustainable Development Goals will carry these
principles forward for humanity as an enduring legacy
of Swaminathan’s vision and life achievement