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Today on stage of the 10th World Potato Congress in Cusco, Peru, World Food Prize Foundation president, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn announced the theme of the 2018 Norman Borlaug International Symposium “Rise to the Challenge.” The 2018 International Symposium will take place October 17-19 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
In making the theme announcement, Amb. Quinn said, “In the 15th century, the Inca civilization of Peru rose to the challenge of creating an extraordinarily productive agricultural system, defying the extreme climatic and physical growing environment of the Andes mountains. Now, more than 500 years later, we face a similar challenge, on a scale unlike any humans have ever confronted -- sustainably and nutritiously feeding the more than nine billion people who will be on our planet by 2050. To do so, It is imperative that we ‘Rise to the Challenge.’”
To honor Peru’s agricultural heritage, and to emphasize the importance of exceptional political leadership in meeting this greatest challenge, Amb. Quinn extended a special invitation to Her Excellency Mercedes Aráoz, Vice President of Peru, to take part in the Norman Borlaug International Symposium as a distinguished guest of honor.
The Norman Borlaug International Symposium, known informally as the "Borlaug Dialogue," each year brings together over 1,200 people from more than 50 countries to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition. The three-day conference convenes a wide array of scientific experts, policy leaders, business executives and farmers and has been called "the premier conference in the world on global agriculture." This year, this cross-sectoral group of change-makers will gather to discuss the necessary political, social, scientific and economic advancements needed to meet this grand challenge.
In recognition of those whose work has already risen to this challenge, Amb. Quinn also revealed that the World Food Prize will announce the 2018 World Food Prize Laureate at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. on June 25. The $250,000 prize will be presented to the new Laureate in October as part of the Borlaug Dialogue. More information regarding details of the Laureate Announcement Ceremony will be publicly released soon.
Amb. Quinn concluded by saying, “With the legacy of our founder Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, who rose to the challenge by leading the Green Revolution to guide and inspire us, the Borlaug Dialogue will serve as the world’s foremost forum to identify and inspire the most critical actions needed to Rise to The Challenge: encouraging and supporting transformational political leadership; fostering innovative research; expanding infrastructure; and inspiring the next generation to end hunger, poverty and malnutrition.”
Attendee registration for the 2018 Borlaug Dialogue will open on July 9.
More information can be found at www.worldfoodprize.org/dialogue.
Press Contact:
Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events
515-245-3735, or by email at nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org
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 46 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. The World Food Prize annually hosts the Norman E. Borlaug 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.
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