---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As maize became important for human food…"
description: "\"As maize became important for human food worldwide, modern agricultural research on maize breeding continued the corn breeding begun thousands of years..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg"
---

#  As maize became important for human food worldwide, modern…

![“As maize became important for human food worldwide, modern agricultural research on maize breeding continued the corn breeding begun thousands of years ago in the Central American highlands.” quote by Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg)

> “As maize became important for human food worldwide, modern agricultural research on maize breeding continued the corn breeding begun thousands of years ago in the Central American highlands.”

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Maize's global food role stems from ancient Central American breeding, now advanced by modern research.

**In simple terms:** Ancient corn breeding evolved into modern research.

Key Takeaway

Support continued maize research.

Themes

agriculture history food security

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

scientific historical

When to use this quote

- food policy
- global nutrition
- agricultural education
- climate resilient crops

Key Concepts

genetics crop improvement domestication

Questions to Reflect On

- How can ancient practices inform modern breeding?
- What are the ethical implications of genetic modification?

A Different Perspective

Modern breeding may overlook indigenous knowledge.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [Corn Breeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corn-breeding-3979026/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Maize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maize/) [Maize Breeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maize-breeding-3979025/) [Maize Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maize-important-3979024/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Research Maize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research-maize-3979023/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/)

## Related quotes

> [O Love! what hours were thine and mine, In lands of palm and southern pine; In lands of palm, of orange-blossom, Of olive, aloe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/o-love-what-hours-were-thine-and-mine-in-lands-of-palm-and-southern/)

[Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/)

> [For years now I've kind of operated under an informal shopping cycle. A bit like a farmer's crop rotation system. Except, instead of wheat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/for-years-now-i-ve-kind-of-operated-under-an-informal-shopping-cycle/)

[Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/)

> [“A Swedish minister having assembled the chiefs of the Susquehanna Indians, made a sermon to them, acquainting them with the principal historical facts on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/a-swedish-minister-having-assembled-the-chiefs-of-the-susquehanna/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [The Green Revolution focused on the big three - maize, rice and wheat - and the Green Revolution did not adapt the big three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-green-revolution-focused-on-the-big-three-maize-rice-and-wheat/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Maize is used both as fodder and grain in the state. A large number of fodder-baled silage units have come up in Punjab, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amarinder-singh/maize-is-used-both-as-fodder-and-grain-in-the-state-a-large-number-of/)

[Amarinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amarinder-singh/)

> [The Christians seized all the maize the locals of Nicaragua had grown for themselves and their own families and, as a consequence, some twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bartolome-de-las-casas/the-christians-seized-all-the-maize-the-locals-of-nicaragua-had-grown/)

[Bartolome de las Casas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bartolome-de-las-casas/)

> [Many people sow rice in their fields and expect to harvest maize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/many-people-sow-rice-in-their-fields-and-expect-to-harvest-maize/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [So GMOs, who knows? Maybe GMOs will come, they will get maize that produces double. But who knows what else may happen to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/so-gmos-who-knows-maybe-gmos-will-come-they-will-get-maize-that/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [Sorghum is kind of unusual. It can go to very high heats, but it's not as productive in most environments as maize is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/sorghum-is-kind-of-unusual-it-can-go-to-very-high-heats-but-it-s-not/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [During the past three years spectacular progress has been made in increasing wheat, rice, and maize production in several of the most populous developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-borlaug/during-the-past-three-years-spectacular-progress-has-been-made-in/)

[Norman Borlaug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-borlaug/)

> [Even where the land was more receptive, settlers soon learned to take some precautions before planting their vegetables. Maize and pumpkin seeds were soaked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bee-dawson/even-where-the-land-was-more-receptive-settlers-soon-learned-to-take/)

[Bee Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bee-dawson/)

> [You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an iroko tree — the greatest tree in the forest? You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/you-cannot-plant-greatness-as-you-plant-yams-or-maize-who-ever/)

[Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/)

> [In Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Angola and Cameroon maize is a staple, yet the earliest mention of maize in west Africa comes from a Portuguese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwasi-kwarteng/in-ghana-nigeria-togo-angola-and-cameroon-maize-is-a-staple-yet-the/)

[Kwasi Kwarteng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwasi-kwarteng/)

> [A Song of the good green grass! A song no more of the city streets; A song of farms - a song of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/a-song-of-the-good-green-grass-a-song-no-more-of-the-city-streets-a/)

[Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

## More by Elizabeth Blackburn

> [Perhaps arising from a fascination with animals, biology seemed the most interesting of sciences to me as a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/perhaps-arising-from-a-fascination-with-animals-biology-seemed-the/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Ageing is so many different things, and cells being able to self-renew is part of the picture but not all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/ageing-is-so-many-different-things-and-cells-being-able-to-self-renew/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Generally, we try to have a situation where the person is healthy, so you're not confounded by disease. So, that means that healthy individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/generally-we-try-to-have-a-situation-where-the-person-is-healthy-so/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Researchers have found that the brain definitely sends nerves directly to organs of the immune system and not just to the heart and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/researchers-have-found-that-the-brain-definitely-sends-nerves/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Checking your telomere length is a bit like weighing yourself: you get this single number which depends on a lot of factors. Telomere length…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/checking-your-telomere-length-is-a-bit-like-weighing-yourself-you-get/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [“Remember, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Don’t be too timid or squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/remember-as-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-don-t-be-too-timid-or-squeamish/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/if-a-test-showed-you-had-telomere-shortening-it-would-be-a-red-flag/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes in cells. Chromosomes carry the genetic information. Telomeres are buffers. They are like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/telomeres-are-the-protective-caps-at-the-ends-of-chromosomes-in-cells/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [I was using very unconventional methods to sequence the telemetric DNA, originally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/i-was-using-very-unconventional-methods-to-sequence-the-telemetric/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [One characteristic aspect of ageing is the increased susceptibility to disease, particularly age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/one-characteristic-aspect-of-ageing-is-the-increased-susceptibility/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [I'm pretty good about getting some exercise every day - well, most days. The secret for me was to put the elliptical in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/i-m-pretty-good-about-getting-some-exercise-every-day-well-most-days/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Observational studies show that exercise, nutritional supplements and reducing psychological stress can help. Chronic high stress and smoking can lead to accelerated telomere shortening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/observational-studies-show-that-exercise-nutritional-supplements-and/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [This enzyme, called telomerase, slows the rate at which telomeres degrade, and research indicates that healthy people with longer telomeres have less risk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/this-enzyme-called-telomerase-slows-the-rate-at-which-telomeres/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [Biology sometimes reveals its fundamental principles through what may seem at first to be arcane and bizarre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/biology-sometimes-reveals-its-fundamental-principles-through-what-may/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

> [In my early work, our molecular views of telomeres were first focused on the DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/in-my-early-work-our-molecular-views-of-telomeres-were-first-focused/)

[Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

[Explore all 49 Elizabeth Blackburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/)

## More American quotes

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/)

[Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/)

[Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/)

> [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/)

[Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/)

> [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/)

[Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/)

> [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/)

[Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/)

> [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/)

[Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

[Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As maize became important for human food worldwide, modern agricultural research on maize breeding continued the corn breeding begun thousands of years ago in the Central American highlands.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elizabeth Blackburn"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/as-maize-became-important-for-human-food-worldwide-modern/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/as-maize-became-important-for-human-food-worldwide-modern/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/elizabeth-blackburn-12953_american_as-maize-became-important-for-human-food_2068022.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As maize became important for human food worldwide, modern agricultural research on maize breeding continued…” — Elizabeth Blackburn",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Elizabeth Blackburn",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As maize became important for human...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/as-maize-became-important-for-human-food-worldwide-modern/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/as-maize-became-important-for-human-food-worldwide-modern/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
