Pedro Sanchez, a soil scientist whose pragmatic ideas to improve soil and food security helped transform millions of acres of marginal land into arable productivity, died on January 12th at the age of 85. Sanchez was the 2002 World Food Prize laureate and a 2004 MacArthur Fellow, and was the director of the Earth Institute’s Agriculture and Food Security Center from 2003 to 2016.
“His ingenuity helped lift millions out of hunger,” says Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia Climate School. “His groundbreaking work on tropical soils, from the Green Revolution in Asia to his transformative efforts across Africa, demonstrated how rigorous science could directly impact humanity’s most pressing challenges.”
Below, Sanchez’s friend and colleague Walter Baethgen reflects on his friendship with Sanchez, who he says “had a lasting impact on my career and the way I think about service to others.” (Read more about Sanchez here.)
“I first met Pedro Sanchez in the 1980s, when I was just beginning my career as a PhD researcher in soil science and plant nutrition. At that time, he was already a professor at North Carolina State University and a world-renowned expert in tropical soils. From our very first interactions, Pedro was much more than a colleague: he was a mentor who helped shape the way I think about science, agriculture, and service to others. He had an extraordinary ability to combine scientific rigor with a deep concern for farmers and the real challenges they face, especially in the developing world.
Pedro was always generous with his time. He listened carefully, offered thoughtful advice, and genuinely enjoyed discussing how research could make a difference beyond academic papers. His guidance during those early years had a lasting impact on my career, and on the way I approach my work to this day.
Later on, I was also fortunate to know Cheryl Palm—his wife and partner in so many wonderful ways. Together, they formed an extraordinary team, united by shared values, warmth, and an unwavering commitment to improving the world around them. It was truly a pleasure to work with two of them.
Twenty years later, Pedro, Cheryl and I found ourselves together again, working at Columbia University. Our offices were adjacent on the beautiful Lamont campus, and I greatly enjoyed our interactions and collaborations on joint projects. One of those projects took Pedro and me to Cuba, his homeland. It was one of the most memorable trips of my career (and I have traveled more than four million miles in my career!). Visiting the home in La Habana where Pedro was born and raised, meeting lifelong friends who chose to remain in Cuba, and seeing the farmland once owned by his family allowed me to see him not only as a scientist, but as a man deeply connected to his roots.
Pedro devoted his entire professional life to improving the lives of the most vulnerable farmers of the world through research and education. His legacy continues to inspire everyone who had the privilege of working with him. He will be deeply missed, but Pedro—and Cheryl—will always live on in the work we continue to do and in our shared hope for a more just and better world.”