Bent Skovmand

Sir Bent Skovmand (January 25, 1945 – February 6, 2007) was a Danish plant scientist and conservationist. Time magazine wrote in 1991 that Skovmand, "'while not exactly a household name,' had had 'more to do with the welfare of the world's five billion people than many heads of state.'"

Biography Skovmand was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark. After serving in the Danish Army, Skovmand attended the University of Minnesota in the US as part of the Minnesota Agricultural Student Trainee international exchange program. He graduated in 1971 with a major in biological and physical sciences in agriculture, and then earned his masters in 1973 and doctorate in 1976 both in plant pathology from the University of Minnesota.

After completing his doctorate, he joined the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in El Batán, Mexico, where he studied older seed strains and genetic variation among widespread strains. He also worked with governments and farmers across the world to increase the use of the advanced crops being developed.

He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog in 2003. He routinely released his catalogs of agricultural information on CDs, which he gave away for free, never attempting to patent the work. and died February 6, 2007, at age 62 in Kävlinge, Sweden, from complications from a malignant brain tumor.