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Secretary of State John Kerry to Give Keynote Address at the Borlaug Centennial Year Event
MEDIA ADVISORY
June 16, 2014 -- The World Food Prize Foundation will announce the winner of the prestigious 2014 World Food Prize at its Laureate Announcement Ceremony at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 18, at 11 a.m. EDT.
As we celebrate the Norman Borlaug Centennial Year, Secretary of State John Kerry will give the keynote address and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, will announce the winner of the 2014 World Food Prize. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin will host the event.
The $250,000 World Food Prize is known as “the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture” and is the foremost international award recognizing an individual who has enhanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
This event is open to the media. It will also be webcast live at http://video.state.gov/live. After the event, video clips will be available at www.stateondemand.state.gov.
EVENT DETAILS:
When: Wednesday, June 18, at 11 a.m. EDT/10 a.m. CDT. Pre-set time for video cameras is 10 a.m. from the 23rd Street Entrance Lobby. Final access time for reporters and still photographers is 10:45 a.m. from the 23rd Street Entrance Lobby.
Where: Dean Acheson Auditorium of the Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. Media should enter via the 23rd Street entrance.
Why: 100 years ago, when Norman Borlaug was born, the global population was 1.8 billion; new estimates show that number will grow to 9 billion by the year 2050. Highlighting breakthroughs that feed the world and identifying future solutions to solving world hunger are paramount as we work to provide sustainable, nutritious food for all people. Each year, the World Food Prize strives to shine a spotlight on these issues and on those making a difference in food security for people around the globe.
Entry: The event is open press. Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. government-issued identification card (State Department, White House, Congress, Defense Department, Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identity card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by official photo identification (driver’s license or passport).
Social Media: @WorldFoodPrize will tweet the event using hashtags #Borlaug100 and #FoodSecurity. You can also follow @EconEngage.
More information, including a biography and photos of the 2014 World Food Prize laureate, will be available online after the announcement, at www.worldfoodprize.org/2014laureate.
Media Inquiries for this event may be directed to:
Megan Forgrave, Director of Communications, The World Food Prize, (515) 229-1705 or mforgrave@worldfoodprize.org;
Frank Finver, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, (202) 647-0677; or EPPDMedia@state.gov; or Office of Press Relations, U.S. Department of State (202) 647-2492.
RELATED: UPCOMING EVENTS
Also on June 18, 2014, registration will open for the 2014 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and related events, which will occur the week of October 13 in Des Moines, Iowa. All are welcome to attend, including media:
2014 Iowa Hunger Summit, October 14. A free one-day, grassroots event for individuals and organizations working to alleviate hunger at home and abroad.
2014 Borlaug Dialogue – The Greatest Challenge in Human History: Can We Sustainably Feed the 9 Billion Who Will Be on Our Planet by the Year 2050, October 15-17. Last year, over 1,200 people from 65 countries gathered for this three-day symposium. International experts, scientists, business and policy leaders, and farmers will come together as we culminate the Borlaug Centennial Year to address cutting-edge issues in food security and nutrition during what has been called “the premier conference in the world on global agriculture.”
2014 Award Ceremony: The Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, October 15. The third annual $10,000 award will honor an individual under the age of 40 who emulates Dr. Norman Borlaug’s incredible dedication to field research and application. Nominations are sought through June 30.
40 Chances Fellows Introduction, October 16. Last October, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Howard G. Buffett and World Food Prize President Amb. Kenneth M. Quinn announced the 40 Chances Fellows program to encourage social enterprise initiatives to reduce food insecurity, conflict or poverty in Rwanda, Malawi, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This October, the President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma, will join us as we introduce the four young entrepreneurs who will be awarded $150,000 each to implement their plans.
2014 Laureate Award Ceremony, October 16. Over 800 honored guests will gather as this year’s laureate is honored and officially awarded the World Food Prize at a ceremony and dinner in the magnificent Iowa State Capitol.
20th Anniversary World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, October 18. Over 140 high school students and their teachers from across the country will gather to present papers on food security solutions, work with experts and laureates, and participate in interactive activities and field visits. The goal of this program is to inspire the next generation of agricultural scientists and humanitarians.
Other events will include the Laureate Lecture Series at colleges across Iowa, and additional public events. Learn more at www.worldfoodprize.org.
ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE: The World Food 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 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world. Laureates have been recognized from Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Israel, Mexico, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the United States. The World Food Prize also annually hosts its Laureate Award Ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol, the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium, and several youth education programs including the Global Youth Institute and Borlaug-Ruan International Internship to inspire the next generation to explore careers in agriculture and fighting hunger. The World Food Prize Foundation is based in Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. More at www.worldfoodprize.org.
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