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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events
515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org
Register Now! 2015 Borlaug Dialogue: The Fundamentals of Global Food Security
Special focus on Empowering Women and Girls in STEM Education
Des Moines, Iowa (September 23, 2015) – To celebrate the 101st anniversary of the birth of its founder, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, and in view of the unprecedented challenge to sustainably and nutritiously feed the 9 billion people who will inhabit the planet by the year 2050, The World Food Prize will gather an outstanding "faculty" of international leaders, experts and scientists for Borlaug 101, a 3-day "course" on The Fundamentals of Global Food Security October 14-16 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Media registration is now open. Members of the media can apply for press credentials at www.worldfoodprize.org/
Referred to as the "premier conference in the world on global agriculture", the 2015 Borlaug Dialogue will feature expertise and diverse perspectives of governmental leaders; policymakers; African farmers; CEOs and executives from agribusiness and non-governmental organizations; and scientific, academic and development experts from around the world.
Among the various “fundamentals of global food security” discussed at this year’s Borlaug Dialogue, there will be a special emphasis on the importance of empowering women and girls through STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education to achieving global food security. Speakers who will address this topic include: Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation; Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize Winner, co-author: A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity; Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, immediate past chair of the national STEM Food and AG Council; Catherine Bertini, 2003 World Food Prize Laureate; Robert T. Fraley, 2013 World Food Prize Laureate; and Senior executives from Google and Starbucks.
In addition, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate will speak about his role as Founder and Chairman of BRAC, the world’s largest NGO, hailed as the most effective anti-poverty organization in the world. Empowering and educating women and girls has been central to BRAC’s success in confronting hunger, malnutrition and lifting millions out of poverty in Bangladesh and 10 other countries.
This year’s Borlaug Dialogue will be held at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in Des Moines.
Other featured speakers and panels this year will include:
- The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture
- Restoring African Soils, featuring Howard G. Buffett, Sir Gordon Conway, Kofi Boa from Ghana and Alejandro López Moriena of Argentina
- A Special Update on the Ebola Crisis, One Year Later, featuring Her Excellency Florence Chenoweth, Former Minister of Agriculture, Liberia and 2004 World Food Prize Laureate Monty Jones
- Agribusiness Leaders and Global Development Presentations, featuring David W. MacLennan, CEO, Cargill; Chris Policinski & Land O’Lakes Scholars; Mehmood Khan, Vice Chairman of PepsiCo; and Jim Borel, Senior Vice President, DuPont
- Confronting malnutrition through biofortified nutritious crops such as Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato;
- The impact of aquaculture and marine fisheries on food production, nutrition and the environment;
- The role of precision agriculture, data and information technologies in production, conservation and resilience
Additional events surrounding the 2015 Borlaug Dialogue will include:
- The Iowa Hunger Summit (October 13): This free event gathers several hundred leaders from across Iowa representing community organizations, business and industry, state and local government, social agencies, churches and religious communities, schools and universities, and other groups that lead or participate in projects to confront hunger. The event is open to the public, but you must register to attend.
- Reception for the Borlaug Field Award for Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation (Oct. 14, 5:30 pm): This event honors a scientist under the age of 40 who emulates Dr. Borlaug. This event is open to the media.
- Laureate Award Ceremony (October 15): While the Laureate Award Ceremony is by invitation only, The World Food Prize Foundation makes every effort to include international guests and senior-level national guests. Invitations will be issued in late summer and the registration process for this event is completely separate from the 2015 Borlaug Dialogue.
- Iowa Farm Tours (Oct. 16, afternoon): Organized by the Iowa Soybean Association, this event will provide an opportunity for international and national guests to travel to a working Iowa farm during harvest.
- Global Youth Institute (October 17 at DuPont Pioneer): This year, almost 400 exceptional high school students and teachers from 30 states and territories across the United States and 6 other countries have been selected to participate in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute. At this inspiring event, the next generation presents and discusses their solutions to global food security challenges with a "faculty panel" of international experts and their peers, connects with other students from around the world, tours cutting-edge industrial and research facilities, and takes part in discussions with global leaders in science, industry and policy.
ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE: The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The Prize was founded in 1986 by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, the World Food Prize has honored 41 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. The World Food Prize annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and a variety of youth education programs to help further the discussion on cutting-edge global food security issues and inspire the next generation to end hunger. Press credentials for covering the October World Food Prize Week of events can be requested at www.worldfoodprize.org/
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