​The world-renowned agricultural scientist Yuan Longping passed away in hospital in the central Chinese city of Changsha on May 22nd. He was 91. Known as the “Father of Hybrid Rice”, Yuan devoted his life to developing high-yield rice varieties that helped feed people around the globe. In this special edition of Footprints, we commemorate him by retracing his long, difficult, yet splendid journey both in his life and his research.