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News http://www.worldfoodprize.org/sitevizcms/RSSFeed.cfm?nodeid=24667&audienceID=1 en-us Copyright 2026 The World Food Prize Foundation All Rights Reserved. wfpf@worldfoodprize.org (The World Food Prize Foundation) support@globalreach.com (Global Reach Internet Productions) Mon, 08 Jun 2026 23:28:38 -0500 Mon, 08 Jun 2026 23:28:38 -0500 60 Foods Resource Bank Organizers to Receive Iowa SHARES Award http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/40584/foods_resource_bank_organizers_to_receive_iowa_shares_award Mon, 26 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/40584/foods_resource_bank_organizers_to_receive_iowa_shares_award Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515.245.3735 (direct), 563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> Foods Resource Bank Organizers to Receive 2016 Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award Des Moines, IA  (September 26, 2016) - The World Food Prize announced today that the 2016 Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award will be presented to Rev. Joan Fumetti and Ron De Weerd for their leadership role in building the Iowa Foods Resource Bank (FRB) program into the leading element of one of the most dynamic and innovative agricultural assistance programs in America. Created in 1999, the genius of FRB is its ability to link agricultural producers and farmers in the United States directly to poor smallholder farmers around the globe. The key concept is known as a “growing project” in which a U.S. producer, or group of producers, pledge a portion of their crop (or other element of agricultural production) to this program. The money generated from the sale of that portion of the crop is then distributed through FRB to 16 highly effective private development agencies that are implementing projects in remote villages in 30 different countries where such assistance is most badly needed. FRB reports that over the last two decades this effort has raised over $47 million across America. FRB has already impacted 1 million people and has begun work on the "next million." Of that nationwide fundraising total more than $6.7 million has been raised by Iowans, mostly through “growing projects.” With more than 150 farmers involved, 1,000 volunteers are also estimated to be participating. As a result of this funding, FRB reports that approximately 140,000 people of that one million total were assisted by funds raised in Iowa. Marv Baldwin, President and CEO of Foods Resource Bank confirmed that Iowa is the leading state in America in terms of supporting this international assistance effort. Over the past two decades, Rev. Fumetti and Mr. De Weerd were the leading element of the FRB effort, working at the community and individual farm level recruiting Iowa agricultural producers and church congregations to form action groups to raise the money to fund projects. In conversations with World Food Prize staff, senior FRB national officials placed Iowa at the very top in terms of funds generated and overseas projects supported in the United States. They credited a significant part of this success to the commitment and hard work of our two 2016 Iowa SHARES recipients--Joan Fumetti and Ron De Weerd. “Foods Resource Bank was just starting its operations at the same time I returned home to Iowa to take over leadership of the World Food Prize,” President of the World Food Prize Ambassador Quinn said. “In those early days I went out with FRB leaders to see one of the very first community “growing projects” that had been formed. It struck me at the time as being an inspired approach. Iowa farmers rightfully state that they feed the world. Working through FRB, they are also uplifting the poorest smallholder farmers in the most challenging situations halfway around the globe. For their role in leading this impressive endeavor, Joan Fumetti and Ron De Weerd are truly deserving of receiving the Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award.”  The fourth annual Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award will be presented to Rev. Fumetti and Mr. De Weerd on Monday, October 10, at the Iowa Hunger Summit, a free, grassroots event organized by The World Food Prize to unite all Iowans working to alleviate hunger at home and abroad. More information, an agenda and registration is available at <a href="http://www.iowahungersummit.org/" target="_blank">www.iowahungersummit.org</a>. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Financial Services are the presenting sponsors of the Iowa Hunger Summit. BACKGROUND: The World Food Prize Foundation established the Robert D. Ray Iowa Shares Humanitarian Award in 2013 in recognition of the exceptional leadership that former Governor Ray demonstrated in dealing with multiple situations affecting refugees in Indochina, and to honor him on his 85th birthday (September 26). In doing so, the award was named after the Iowa SHARES campaign, which the Governor created in 1979 in order to send desperately needed food and medicine to suffering and dying refugees from Cambodia. Iowa SHARES stands for Iowa Sends Help to Aid Refugees and End Starvation.  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 <a href="/press" target="_blank">www.worldfoodprize.org/press</a>. The World Food Prize Foundation 2016 Dialogue Media Registration Now Open http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/40572/2016_dialogue_media_registration_now_open Fri, 23 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/40572/2016_dialogue_media_registration_now_open MEDIA ADVISORY Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events +1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>   2016 BORLAUG DIALOGUE PRESS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN “Let Food Be Thy Medicine” Des Moines, Iowa (Sept. 20, 2016) -- The 2016 Borlaug Dialogue, Oct. 12-14 in Des Moines, Iowa, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the World Food Prize by the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug.  Our symposium focus is built around the theme of “Let Food Be Thy Medicine,” a quote from Hippocrates 2,400 years ago.  It will include an array of speakers who will address the issues involved in sustainably and nutritiously feeding the 9 billion people who will inhabit our planet by the year 2050. The Borlaug Dialogue annually gathers over 1,200 people from more than 65 countries.  At a time when there is considerable focus on mergers of international agribusiness companies and issues of innovation to enhance crop yields, the CEO’s and Senior Executives from six leading international agribusiness companies are on the agenda.  As conflict and increasing tension affect so much of the world, five distinguished former Ambassadors and Intelligence experts will make presentations. The Borlaug Dialogue will feature expertise and diverse perspectives of governmental leaders; national security experts, policymakers; farmers; CEOs and executives from agribusiness and non-governmental organizations; and scientific, academic and development experts from around the world. There will also be the presentation of the $250,000 World Food Prize to the four pioneers of biofortified staple crops.  Included are two women and two African scientists.  Media registration is now open. Members of the media can apply for press credentials at <a href="/press">www.worldfoodprize.org/press</a>. The full agenda and speaker list can be found at www.worldfoodprize.org/borlaugdialogue. All sessions will also be webcast live from <a href="file:///C:\Users\ajohnson\Downloads\www.worldfoodprize.org\live">www.worldfoodprize.org/live</a>. Highlighted speakers this year will include: <ul> <li>H. E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius</li> <li>H. E. Dr. Joyce Banda, Former President of Malawi</li> <li>Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group</li> <li>Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group</li> <li>Hon. Tom Vilsack, Us Secretary of Agriculture</li> <li>CEO’s and Senior Executives of Bayer Crop Science, DuPont, Hormel, Intrexon, Kellogg, Monsanto, and Syngenta Seeds</li> </ul> Discussion topics and highlights of the program will include: <ul> <li>Ambassadors and leading foreign policy officials examining issues of national security and food security in regions beset with crisis  </li> <li>Business executives at the forefront of enhancing nutrition, innovation and confronting climate volatility</li> <li>African women leaders driving science and innovation for agricultural transformation in Africa</li> <li>Food Security in Crisis: Syria, Boko Haram & El Niño</li> <li>The role of public universities in confronting the grand challenges of global food security</li> <li>A discussion on the availability of a healthy global diet and progress on food and nutrition security, presented by the World Food Center at the University of California, Davis</li> <li>The Borlaug-Rockefeller connection: Inspiring the next generation of leaders in global food security</li> <li>The Borlaug-Sasakawa connection as 2016 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sasakawa Africa Association</li> </ul> Additional events surrounding the 2016 Borlaug Dialogue will include:  <ul> <li> Iowa Hunger Summit, October 10: 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. </li> <li>Ceremony Award Presentation for the Borlaug Field Award for Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation (Oct 12, 5:30 pm): This event honors a scientist under the age of 40 who emulates Dr. Borlaug. This event is open to the media.</li> <li>Laureate Award Ceremony (October 13): This year’s laureates, Dr. Maria Andrade, Dr. Robert Mwanga, Dr. Jan Low, and Dr. Howarth Bouis, will be honored and officially awarded the World Food Prize. The Laureate Award Ceremony has limited space, so will have limited media access. If you are interested in covering the event, please note your interest on your registration form. Media granted access will be notified the week of events and can pick up their credentials in the Press Room at the Marriott. The ceremony is also shown live on Iowa Public Television and via webcast.</li> <li>Iowa Farm Tours (Oct 14, 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. This event is open to the media.</li> <li>Global Youth Institute (October 15 at DuPont Pioneer): Each year, more than 200 exceptional high school students and their teachers from across the United States and other countries are 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. This event is open to the media.</li> </ul> THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The prize was endowed by the Ruan family of Des Moines, Iowa. Businessman John Ruan III now serves as chairman of the Foundation and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia is the president of the organization.  A Selection Committee of experts from around the world oversees the nomination and selection process, and is chaired by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan of India, who was also honored as the first World Food Prize Laureate. Other past Prize winners include former President of Ghana, John Kufour; U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus; Professor Yuan Longping of China and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Catherine Bertini. # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation Announce Recipient of Iowa SHARES Award http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/40542/announce_recipient_of_iowa_shares_award Thu, 22 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/40542/announce_recipient_of_iowa_shares_award Press Contact:  Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events <a href="tel:%2B1.515.245.3735" target="_blank">+1.515.245.3735</a> (direct), <a href="tel:%2B1.563.271.2995" target="_blank">+1.563.271.2995</a> (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org" target="_blank">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> World Food Prize President, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn to announce recipient of Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award (Des Moines, IA) September 22, 2016 – In recognition of Governor Robert D. Ray’s global humanitarian leadership, on Monday in honor of his 88th birthday, the World Food Prize Foundation will announce and introduce the recipient of the annual Robert Dr. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award. WHEN: Monday, September 26 – 2:00 p.m. WHERE:  The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, 100 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa, in the Iowa Gallery, Second Floor. (The Iowa Gallery features artwork by Iowa artists, all depicting Iowa’s greatest humanitarian and agricultural moments in history. One beautiful painting by Rose Frantzen commemorates Gov. Ray’s work with refugees. WHAT: Press Briefing with Amb. Quinn and Award recipient BACKGROUND: The World Food Prize Foundation established the Robert D. Ray Iowa Shares Humanitarian Award in 2013 in recognition of the exceptional leadership that former Governor Ray demonstrated in dealing with multiple situations affecting refugees in Indochina, and to honor him on his 85th birthday (September 26). In doing so, the award was named after the Iowa SHARES campaign, which the Governor created in 1979 in order to send desperately needed food and medicine to suffering and dying refugees from Cambodia. Iowa SHARES stands for Iowa Sends Help to Aid Refugees and End Starvation.  The award is given annually to honor an Iowan who has provided significant leadership in confronting hunger and alleviating human suffering, both at home and abroad. The award will be formally presented to the recipient at the Iowa Hunger Summit Luncheon on October 10 in Des Moines. DETAILS:  Please arrive between 1:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. and use the East Riverwalk Entrance. On site, please contact Nicole Barreca with any questions, at <a href="tel:563-271-2995" target="_blank">563-271-2995</a>. 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 <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=/press&source=gmail&ust=1474640924479000&usg=AFQjCNFcV2lUyaIDQ5fgcRRP_Zu0JMX48A" href="/press" target="_blank">www.worldfoodprize.org/press</a>.   ### The World Food Prize Foundation The World Food Prize Recognizes Kenyan Economist http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39777/the_world_food_prize_recognizes_kenyan_economist Tue, 30 Aug 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39777/the_world_food_prize_recognizes_kenyan_economist Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515.245.3735 (direct), 563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> The World Food Prize Recognizes Kenyan Economist as Winner of the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation A research scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi is named the 5th recipient of this prestigious award for his work in providing insurance to livestock herders in East Africa’s drylands through innovative, state-of-the art technologies. Nairobi, Kenya (Aug. 30, 2016) – Dr. Andrew Mude was announced today as the winner of the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, for his work in developing insurance for never-before-insured communities whose livelihoods depend on herding cattle, goats, sheep and camels in the remote, arid and drought-prone lowlands of the Horn of Africa. Mude has made novel use of satellite data to achieve an innovative and highly effective solution that helps pastoral livestock herders reduce the considerable and costly drought-risk they face in this region. At an event hosted by Director General Jimmy Smith of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, Mude’s selection as the winner of the 2016 Borlaug Field Award for individuals under the age of 40, was made by Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. “Dr. Mude reflects Borlaug-like persistence in his science-based, community mediated, and innovative approach to providing financial protection, through insurance, to millions of poor herders and their families who care for and depend upon their livestock as they move across the vast rangelands of East Africa,” Quinn said, adding that "It should be a matter of great pride for Kenya that two of the first five Borlaug Field Award recipients are Kenyans." Dr. Charity Mutegi, also of Kenya received the award in 2013. Mude will be formally presented with US$10,000 and the “Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation”, on October 12, 2016, in a ceremony, in which Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin will participate, in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, as part of the 2016 World Food Prize international symposium. A Kenya native who received his Ph.D. from Cornell University, 39-year-old Mude is a principal economist at ILRI. He spearheads a program called “Index-Based Livestock Insurance” (IBLI), which is greatly reducing the vulnerability of East Africa’s livestock herding families to recurring droughts, which kill great numbers of livestock, sending many hungry households in remote regions into deep and lasting poverty. Since launching IBLI in 2008, Mude and his team have engaged local herders and leaders in building and delivering extension education programs—employing videos, cartoons, and radio broadcasts—to increase understanding of the principles and coverage of the insurance plans. Before Mude’s innovative approach was implemented, African herders had no access to livestock insurance. It was highly impractical and costly for insurance claim adjusters to travel through East Africa to confirm dead animals and pay claims. IBLI eliminates the need for such visual confirmation of stock losses by using satellite data to monitor grazing conditions – when these conditions are seen to fall below a certain threshold, this data serves as a proxy for dead animals, and insurance payouts are made.  By early 2016, 11,800 IBLI contracts had been sold (representing an insured livestock value of $5,350,000) and $149,007 indemnity payments made to insured pastoralists. In future, more than 50 million pastoralists across Africa are expected to have an opportunity to benefit from this financial technology.  “Dr. Mude represents the type of citizen-servant we as a government are proud to partner with; a citizen dedicated to helping grow the productivity and welfare of the Kenyan people,” said the Honorable Willy Bett, Cabinet Secretary in the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. “It’s because of his passion, commitment, and technical competence that we’re now planning to replicate this novel insurance scheme across all of northern Kenya, where some 4 million pastoralists depend primarily on livestock.”  "With today’s changing climate, weather-based insurance has become a critical tool in building the resilience of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.” Said Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office. "By utilizing the most current technology, Dr. Mude's innovation is helping pastoralist livestock herders protect their livelihoods. We can provide farmers with no better form of food security than by empowering them to protect themselves from the impacts of climate change.” “We have the satellite technology needed to monitor grazing conditions in the remotest of regions,” Mude said. “We should be using it to ensure that Africa’s remote livestock herders have access to basic insurance farmers around the world take for granted. We draw inspiration from Borlaug’s lifelong commitment to make his research make a difference. Together with many partners and the herders themselves—and only together—we're determined to find new ways to help millions of people continue to practice the oldest form of sustainable food production the world has ever seen.”  As reported this week from Mude’s IBLI team, the government’s KLIP has already provided 5,012 households with IBLI coverage and just last week (August 24, 2016) it made indemnity payments to a few hundred herders in Kenya’s huge and arid northern county of Wajir, which has suffered prolonged drought. And in Ethiopia, Kenya’s neighbor to the north, a government pilot project spearheaded by Mude’s team is working to scale out this insurance program while the World Food Program is making IBLI-type insurance a key pillar of its food security strategy in Ethiopia’s pastoralist lowlands. Other governments and development agencies are seeking help in testing IBLI-type policies across West Africa’s Sahel and the drylands of southern Africa. ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith agrees. "’Take it to the farmer’ are reported to be the last words uttered by Norman Borlaug before he died. Andrew Mude and his team, working with the Kenya and Ethiopian governments and others, have taken Borlaug’s injunction to heart, and are taking it even further—to thousands of individual pastoralists raising and herding their animal stock across the vast, remote and generally inhospitable drylands of the Horn of Africa." ABOUT THE NORMAN BORLAUG AWARD FOR FIELD RESEARCH AND APPLICATION An independent jury of experts chaired by Dr. Ronnie Coffman selected Dr. Mude from an impressive group of candidates who were evaluated based on the attributes and accomplishments that reflect those demonstrated by Dr. Norman Borlaug during his work at the Rockefeller Foundation in developing high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat in Mexico and introducing adaptable wheat varieties into India and Pakistan during the 1950’s and 60’s, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. More details at <a href="/borlaugfieldaward/">www.worldfoodprize.org/borlaugfieldaward/</a>. ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The prize was endowed by the Ruan family of Des Moines, Iowa. Businessman John Ruan III now serves as chairman of the Foundation and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia is the president of the organization.  A Selection Committee of experts from around the world oversees the nomination and selection process, and is chaired by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan of India, who was also honored as the first World Food Prize Laureate. Other past Prize winners include former President of Ghana, John Kufour; U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus; Professor Yuan Longping of China and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Catherine Bertini. The World Food Prize Foundation The Inspiration of Norman Borlaug http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39778/the_inspiration_of_norman_borlaug Sat, 27 Aug 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39778/the_inspiration_of_norman_borlaug <h2> "The Inspiration of Norman Borlaug"</h2> Remarks by: Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of the world Food Prize Foundation.  As Prepared for Delivery at the symposium celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Sasakawa Africa Association held in conjunction with the TICAS VI Conference. NAIROBI, KENYA - Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Professor Ruth Oniang'o, Chair of the Sasakawa Africa Association, Mr. Masaaki Miyamoto, Executive Director of the SAA, it is a great honor to have been invited to speak about the inspiration of Norman Borlaug, while joining in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dr. Borlaug's first trip to Africa, with President Jimmy Carter, traveling at the invitation and urging of Ryoichi Sasakawa. My pleasure at being here is increased by the fact that this is also the 30th anniversary of my own first visit to Africa and to Kenya. This came when I accompanied U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz on the first ever trip to Africa by any American Secretary of State. A lot has changed in Kenya over those 30 years. But if the country can increase agricultural production the same way you have increased auto traffic in Nairobi, there is nothing to worry about. <img alt="" src="/documents/filelibrary/images/events/ken_in_kenya_2016/Kenya_1_F1D6820F0A32B.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 167px; float: right;" />As we are gathered here as part of the TICAD VI conference, I want to begin with a tribute to Japan and the absolutely critical role that country has played in the entire Green Revolution. It was only with the development of Norin 10 semi dwarf wheat by Professor Gonjiro Inazuka in Iwate Prefecture that Norman Borlaug was able to develop his own miracle wheat in Mexico, the crop which he then took to India and Pakistan in the mid-1960s as those countries faced mass starvation. This became the start of the Green Revolution. Secondly, we should pay tribute to the critical and catalytic role played by Ryoichi Sasakawa, whose vision for Africa and personal persistence brought Borlaug here in 1986 and which began this 30 year collaboration now so magnificently being carried forward by Yohei Sasakawa, SAA Chair Professor Ruth Oniang’o, and Executive Director Masaaki Miyamoto. And, third, I want to make reference to the extremely impressive work in which I participated in the 1990s when Japan and the United States played such a powerful and collaborative leadership role in transforming Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, from war to peace. At that time, Japanese development agencies put high priority on improving road infrastructure which has over the past 25 years turned the region into one of stability, integration and peace. It is this emphasis on roads and rural infrastructure that also provided the linkages between Norman Borlaug and myself. When I first met him in 1999 as I was assuming leadership of the World Food Prize, I told Norm that I had worked in villages in the Mekong Delta in 1968, just when the Green Revolution was beginning and the first IR8 miracle rice was arriving. I added that I had observed that this new agricultural technological innovation was only used when the rural roads into the villages had been improved. This combination of new roads and new rice brought immediate transformation to the villages where I was working. It was powerful in both uplifting families out of poverty, improving nutrition and overcoming local insurgent, guerrilla movements. Borlaug, on hearing me say this, slammed his fist on the table and in a loud voice shouted “ROADS!!” I was startled and thought I was about to be fired from my new role heading the organization he had created to become the, "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture." Instead, Borlaug reinforced my point saying that roads were absolutely essential. This has led to his famous quote, "If you want to feed Africa, build roads." I told this same story to my dear friend His Excellency Akinwumi Adesina, the new president of the African Development Bank, when we first met in 2010 in Accra at the AGRA Forum. President Adesina, I know that Dr. Borlaug is looking down from Green Revolution heaven today with a big smile on his face, knowing that you have been elected to head the Bank. Your serving in this critical leadership position is one of the most important signs that Africa is truly poised for takeoff. You are uniquely qualified to bring together all of the essential elements of research and technology, policy development, and dramatically improved infrastructure, all with special emphasis on enhanced nutrition and the challenges of climate volatility. Roads and infrastructure are equally important to building peace, as I stated in my World Food Day address to the United Nations in New York in 2013. The lessons from Southeast Asia to Afghanistan to Africa are clear: where the road ends, hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and conflict, terrorism and insurgency all begin. This is why the work of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation alongside the Sasakawa agricultural initiatives in Africa are so important. Norman Borlaug's inspiration is threefold: first, his belief in the power of science and technology to increase yields and the availability of food; second, the importance of inspiring the next generation of young people; and third, the power of agricultural exchanges and coming together to confront hunger to build peace and understanding.???????<img alt="" src="/documents/filelibrary/images/events/ken_in_kenya_2016/Kenya_2_6B950E87D2F8E.jpg" style="float: right; width: 250px; height: 167px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px;" />??????? Those are the three missions of the World Food Prize that Borlaug established in May 1986, just five mont???????hs after his first trip to Africa.??????? One of the best examples of agriculture bridging vast differences came in 2012 when the World Food Prize was awarded to an Israeli irrigation pioneer who had been nominated by three Arab scientists from three Muslim countries. His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, came to Des Moines to help present our prize to that Israeli, Jewish scientist, while a Muslim princess, an Arab Sheikh, and an Israeli diplomat stood together in the audience cheering.??????? I saw that same power to reach across vast differences when I traveled to Iran in 2014 to deliver the keynote address at a conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Borlaug, organized by The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran. My proposal of cooperation to build understanding received a standing ovation from the Minister of Agriculture and the 400 Iranian scientists in attendance. Continuing this cooperation, I welcomed a leading Iranian scientist to Des Moines and for the last two years World Food Prize laureates have spoken in Iran. Marc Van Montagu in 2015; and Per Pinstrup-Andersen will arrive there this weekend.  This coming October, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Food Prize and we are greatly looking forward to welcoming leaders of the SAA to Des Moines as we present our $250,000 prize to four laureates, including two women and two African scientists, whose pioneering work in bio-fortification is uplifting the health and well-being of 10 million people across Africa and in up to 40 other countries around the world. Furthermore, next week I will announce here in Nairobi the name of a young Kenyan scientist under the age of 40 who will receive our 2016 Borlaug Field Award, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation. As we face the greatest challenge in human history, feeding 9 billion people in a world beset with terrorism and conflict and climate volatility, the legacies and inspiration of Norman Borlaug and Ryoichi Sasakawa, and the work of the Sasakawa Africa Association and the World Food Prize, along with the leadership of individuals like President Adesina, and so many others gathered here today, have never been more important. The World Food Prize Foundation The World Food Prize Hires New Program Manager http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39606/the_world_food_prize_hires_new_program_manager Wed, 27 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39606/the_world_food_prize_hires_new_program_manager FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515-245-3735 or by email at <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>   The World Food Prize Hires New Program Manager Des Moines, Iowa (July 27, 2016) – The World Food Prize Foundation announced today that Madeline Goebel has joined its staff as a Program Manager. “As the World Food Prize celebrates its 30th anniversary as well as the 10th anniversary of the Iowa Hunger Summit, we feel very fortunate to have Madeline join our team,” said Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation. “Her previous international experience as well as her dedication and commitment will help ensure she is an effective representation of the Foundation that Dr. Norman E. Borlaug created to confront hunger around the world.” As Program Manager at the World Food Prize Foundation, Ms. Goebel will be responsible for coordinating the Iowa Hunger Directory, supporting the annual Iowa Hunger Summit and Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium and assisting with social media communications. Ms. Goebel has been actively involved in many endeavors at the World Food Prize Foundation since 2015. As a former George Washington Carver Intern at the Foundation, she worked closely with the Directors of Planning and Iowa Education Programs in coordinating and facilitating the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium and World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute. After the conclusion of her internship, Ms. Goebel returned to the Foundation for various involvements, continually expanding her understanding of the organization. “Working with the World Food Prize Foundation has allowed me to follow my passions for economic empowerment through the channels of hunger alleviation, both in Iowa and throughout the world,” Goebel said. “I am greatly looking forward to working closely with Iowans who are on the front lines in the struggle to alleviate hunger both at home and abroad.” Ms. Goebel briefly lived in Grenoble, France, where she attended the Université Stendhal, studying language and multiculturalism. Additionally, in Grenoble, she volunteered at Maison de l’International, working to strengthen French understanding of the United States. Following her studies in France, Ms. Goebel spent nearly four months living throughout the country of Cameroon where her studies concentrated on the themes of social pluralism and development. While in Cameroon, Ms. Goebel conducted independent research on family farming in a rural setting. This hands-on experience sparked her interest in food security and agriculture. Upon her return to the U.S., Ms. Goebel wanted to continue her involvements in food security and found the World Food Prize to be a platform for her interests. Ms. Goebel additionally has proficiencies in the fields of public relations and public affairs, as she interned locally with LS2group, a Des Moines communications firm. Ms. Goebel holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in Economics and a certificate in French from Drake University. Ms. Goebel takes over for Mr. Stephen Lauer, who left the organization on July 22, 2016 to pursue a PhD in Sociology at Kansas State University. ### ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The prize was endowed by the Ruan family of Des Moines, Iowa. Businessman John Ruan III now serves as chairman of the Foundation and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia is the president of the organization.  A Selection Committee of experts from around the world oversees the nomination and selection process, and is chaired by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan of India, who was also honored as the first World Food Prize Laureate. Other past Prize winners include former President of Ghana, John Kufour; U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus; Professor Yuan Longping of China and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Catherine Bertini.   The World Food Prize Foundation The World Food Prize Foundation invites applications for the Director of Iowa Education Program http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39598/the_world_food_prize_foundation_invites_applications_for_the_director_of_iowa_education_program Tue, 26 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39598/the_world_food_prize_foundation_invites_applications_for_the_director_of_iowa_education_program The World Food Prize Foundation invites nominations and applications for the Director of Iowa Education Programs. The Foundation seeks a broadly-experienced and dynamic thought leader to head the expansion of educational programs in Iowa and continue Dr. Norman Borlaug’s legacy of inspiring the next generation of young leaders in the fight to end hunger. In addition to visionary leadership and strategic planning, the Director of Iowa Education Programs will possess excellent administrative and communication skills to establish and manage programs in the state of Iowa; cultivate strategic partnerships and develop new initiatives; and support and train students and educators across a diverse range of STEM, agriculture and social science disciplines. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, 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. Dr. Norman Borlaug, winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work leading the Green Revolution in agriculture, founded The World Food Prize to honor those who have made significant contributions to improving the global food supply. Every October, the world’s foremost thinkers and leaders in the fight to end hunger travel to Des Moines for the awarding of the Prize and the Borlaug Dialogue – the world’s premier international symposium on global agriculture and development. The World Food Prize calls attention to what has been done to improve global food security and to what can be accomplished in the future by honoring breakthrough achievements and inspiring the next generation of young leaders to continue Dr. Borlaug’s life work to end hunger and human suffering. Core Responsibilities: <ul> <li>Manage the World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute at Iowa State University and other Iowa education experiences: <ul style="list-style-type:circle;"> <li>Design, plan, evaluate and coordinate transformative education and youth leadership programs for high school students, primarily the Iowa Youth Institute</li> <li>Present the WFP youth programs to key stakeholders in education, industry and state government and develop collaborative partnerships to establish and institutionalize the programs in Iowa</li> <li>Empower and support high school teachers and administrators through all phases of the students participation including: recruitment of students, educational presentations, school visits, development of educational materials, and student evaluations</li> <li>Identify and engage educational innovators in Iowa to involve their students and establish school-based programs and build regional programming at colleges across Iowa</li> </ul> </li> <li>Represent The World Food Prize at local and state events, meetings and symposia</li> <li>Identify, cultivate, evaluate and sustain strategic partnerships and initiatives to build and enhance the education and youth leadership programs</li> <li>Manage program budgets, identify potential sources of programmatic support, and develop and execute presentations and grant proposals to foundations, individuals and organizations to generate support for the Foundation’s programs and initiatives</li> </ul> Minimum Qualifications: <ul> <li>A bachelor’s degree in education, science, agriculture or a related discipline</li> <li>2-4 years’ experience creating, administering and managing youth programs</li> <li>Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills</li> <li>Proven ability to coordinate and lead diverse constituencies and stakeholders</li> <li>Supervisory experience</li> <li>Experience working with high schools and higher education, specifically land-grant universities</li> <li>Familiarity with food security and global issues</li> <li>Requires regular travel across Iowa for school and partnership visits</li> </ul> Preferred Qualifications: <ul> <li>A master’s degree in education, science, agriculture or related discipline or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired</li> <li>Track record of success developing state and national partnerships with NGOs, universities, schools, and public and private sector organizations</li> <li>Experience teaching in formal and informal learning environments and developing informational/educational materials and curricula</li> <li>Experience working with the Iowa education system, including Iowa Department of Education, student youth organizations, and teacher professional organizations</li> <li>Experience living or working abroad</li> <li>Demonstrated experience with social and new media technologies, database and basic website management</li> </ul> Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualification. Position will report directly to the Foundation President. Application materials should be emailed to <a href="jobs@worldfoodprize.org%20">jobs@worldfoodprize.org</a> and include a letter addressing how the candidate’s experiences match the position’s duties, responsibilities and qualifications; a resume or academic curriculum vitae; and contact information for at least three references. Applications should be received by August 8, 2016.   The World Food Prize Foundation Record 37 USDA Wallace-Carver Fellows http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39525/record_37_usda_wallacecarver_fellows Mon, 18 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39525/record_37_usda_wallacecarver_fellows Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515.245.3735 (direct), 563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>    World Food Prize Foundation Announces Record 37 USDA Wallace-Carver Fellows Fellows are working with leading scientists and policy makers to improve our food system   (Des Moines, IA) July 18, 2016 - The World Food Prize Foundation and The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed 37 students from across the country for the prestigious Wallace-Carver Fellowship, which offers exceptional college students the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned scientists and policymakers through paid summer internships at leading USDA research centers and offices across the United States.  “The Wallace-Carver Fellowship exposes the best young minds in agriculture to the wide variety of opportunities available to them through civil service,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Their experiences as Fellows will prepare these exceptional young leaders to carry out the vital research and innovation we will need to address the challenge of feeding a growing global population.” Fellows will be stationed at USDA research centers and field offices across the country to analyze agricultural and economic policy; assist in the management of food, nutrition and rural development programs; and take part in groundbreaking field and laboratory-based research. Today, 49 million Americans are food insecure and one in nine people on the planet go hungry each day. As the world’s population grows, food security remains a critical issue. Sec. Vilsack and Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of The World Food Prize, created the Wallace-Carver Fellowship to inspire the next generation of American scientific, agricultural, and humanitarian leaders.  Over the past five years, 148 students have gone through the program.  “These students are among the brightest and most passionate young people in the country, and we are thrilled to connect them with these opportunities that put them on track for promising careers in agriculture and international development," Amb. Quinn said. "I am sure they will be the leaders of the future in global food security." The Wallace-Carver Fellowship includes a culminating week-long, high-level leadership symposium at the USDA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. During the week, the Fellows will participate in a series of high-level briefings, tours and discussions around Washington DC with key government officials, congressional and humanitarian leaders engaged in the fight against hunger. <ul> <li>CARLEY ALLEN | Arkansas Tech University | Placement: ARS, Plant Genetic Resources Unit - Geneva, NY</li> <li>BRANDON BEALL | Iowa State Univeristy | Placement: ARS, Tick and Biting Fly Research Center- Kerrville, TX</li> <li>SRUTHI BODDAPATI | Eastern Carolina University | Placement: ARS, Neuroscience and Aging Laboratory - Boston, MA</li> <li>ANN BRAVERMAN | Creighton University | Placement: ARS, National Animal Disease Center - Ames, IA</li> <li>THERESA BREHM  | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, Functional Foods Research Unit- Peoria, IL</li> <li>MARIAH COX | Ohio State University | Placement: ARS, Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit- Athens, GA</li> <li>ANGER DOK | University of Iowa | Placement: ARS, Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit- Athens, GA</li> <li>LAUREN FILLEBROWN | Penn State University | Placement: Office of the Secretary - Washington, D.C.</li> <li>KIRSTEN FORSTER | University of Idaho  | Placement: ARS, Aquatic Animal Health Research- Auburn, AL</li> <li>JUSTINE FRERICHS | Davidson College  | Placement: ARS, Trace Minerals and Nutrition Unit - Ithaca, NY</li> <li>LANDER GEADELMANN | University of Iowa | Placement: ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment - Ames, IA</li> <li>GRANT GUSTAFSON | George Washington University  | Placement: Foreign Agricultural Service, Office of Capacity Building and Development - Washington, DC</li> <li>JASMINE HANSON | University of Nebraska- Lincoln | Placement: ARS, Animal Metabolism-Agricultural Chemicals Research- Fargo, ND</li> <li>SAM HARRIS | University of Arkansas | Placement: Risk Management Agency - Washington, D.C.</li> <li>EVA HENNINGSEN | University of Minnesota | Placement: ARS, National Agricultural Library - Beltsville, MD</li> <li>TAYLOR HINTCH | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit - Ames, IA</li> <li>RAEGAN HOEFLER | Iowa State University  | Placement: ARS Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research Unit - Ames, IA</li> <li>SIERRA MARI JAMIR | Cornell University  | Placement: ARS, US Horticultural Research Laboratory - Fort Pierce, FL</li> <li>ROHAN KANDEL | Cornell University | Placement: Food Safety and Inspection Service - Washington, D.C. </li> <li>KIERA LEDDY | South Dakota State University | Placement: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration- Kansas City, MO</li> <li>LEAH LUCAS | Grinnell University | Placement: Economic Research Service, Market and Trade Economics Division- Washington, D.C.</li> <li>GRETCHEN MOHR | St. Louis University | Placement: Office of the Chief Economist - Washington, DC</li> <li>GABRIEILLE MORRIS | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | Placement: ARS, Forage and Range Research Lab- Logan, UT</li> <li>SHANTAL PAI | University of Minnesota | Placement: ARS, Crop Genetics Research Unit - Jackson, TN</li> <li>BRADLEY PICKHINKE | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment - Ames, IA</li> <li>HOLLY PODLISKA | University of Nebraska- Lincoln | Placement: ARS, Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research- Hilo, HI</li> <li>ABIGAIL SANDERS | Arkansas Tech University | Placement: ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center- Davis, CA</li> <li>STEPHEN SCHWARTZ | Purdue University | Placement: ARS, National Soil Erosion Research Lab - West Lafayette, IN</li> <li>MORGAN SMITH | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, National Animal Disease Center - Ames, IA</li> <li>MADELINE TOPF | Carleton College | Placement: ARS, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory - Beltsville, MD</li> <li>LAURA TUCKER | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit - Ithaca, NY</li> <li>ARUN VELAMURI | <style type="text/css"> </style> Gustavus Adolphus College | Placement: ARS, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory- Beltsville, MD</li> <li>THOMAS WILGENBUSCH | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research - Kimberly, ID</li> <li>MATHEW WILHELM | Texas A&M University | Placement: ARS, Soil and Water Management Research Unit - St. Paul, MN</li> <li>GILLIAN WILKINS | Augustana University | Placement: ARS, Cereal Crops Research - Fargo, ND</li> <li>CINTHIA WILKINSON | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, National Animal Disease Center- Ames, IA</li> <li>MIKEL WRIGHT | Iowa State University | Placement: ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment- Ames, IA</li> </ul> For more information visit: <a href="/usdafellows">www.worldfoodprize.org/usdafellows</a>.  ### ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The prize was endowed by the Ruan family of Des Moines, Iowa. Businessman John Ruan III now serves as chairman of the Foundation and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia is the president of the organization.  A Selection Committee of experts from around the world oversees the nomination and selection process, and is chaired by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan of India, who was also honored as the first World Food Prize Laureate. Other past Prize winners include former President of Ghana, John Kufour; U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus; Professor Yuan Longping of China and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Catherine Bertini.   The World Food Prize Foundation Wiesel's Passing Reminds of Need to 'Live in Peace Together' http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39487/wiesels_passing_reminds_of_need_to_live_in_peace_together Wed, 06 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39487/wiesels_passing_reminds_of_need_to_live_in_peace_together By: <a href="/en/about_the_prize/ambassador_kenneth_m_quinn/">Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn</a> Published: <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2016/07/05/wiesels-passing-reminds-need-live-peace-together/86707562/">Des Moines Register 7/6/16</a> Elie Wiesel, survivor of Auschwitz and powerful conscience to the world for seven decades, who devoted his life to ensuring that future generations would "never... forget," died this past Fourth of July weekend at age 87. While Wiesel is not associated with global food security, I mention his name as part of every tour I give of our World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. This occurs when standing in front of the portrait of our founder Dr. Norman Borlaug, I point to the bronze replicas of Borlaug's three most significant medals: the Nobel Peace Prize, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  And, then I tell visitors that in all the 240 year history of the United States, only three Americans have ever received these three highest awards: Norman Borlaug, the Iowa farm boy who became Father of the Green Revolution; Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. the iconic civil rights hero and martyr; and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel.  I had an extraordinary and unexpected opportunity to hear Wiesel speak when I accompanied Dr. Borlaug to Norway in December, 2001 for the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize. It was early on Sundaymorning when, beset with jet lag and unable to sleep, I decided to go walking in downtown Oslo.  The center city was devoid of people and so I meandered rather aimlessly past unremarkable modern buildings, staring into store windows. But, then I heard the distant tolling of church bells, and was drawn toward that sound until eventually a gothic style, red brick church came into view. It would have looked very much at home in many of the eastern Iowa towns near where I grew up in Dubuque. Curious about religious practices, I have on other trips sat in the back of churches and temples in places like Hanoi, Katmandu and Moscow, so I slipped into the church and sat alone in the back pew of what I learned was the Lutheran cathedral of Oslo. The Bishop was leading the service with prayers spoken in Norwegian. She then began to give what I thought was the sermon also in her native language. Not understanding any of the words, I began to think about leaving to head back to our hotel to join Dr. Borlaug for breakfast.  But then, the Bishop switched to English and told the congregation that this morning their church had a special guest, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and survivor of the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel and his wife. Riveted by this announcement, I sat back down with my eyes fixed on the pulpit to which she had invited him to come and to address the assembled congregants. What he said is indelibly etched in my memory and motivates everything I do at the World Food Prize in carrying forward Dr. Borlaug's legacy.  Wiesel spoke powerfully of how for many, many years his wife and he could never have joined a gathering of Christians such as this, because Christians had done such horrific things to his people. However, he continued, over time they had come to see that not all Christians should be considered responsible for what was done in Germany. And so now Wiesel stated they, Jews, could come to this service and join with you Christians in singing.  Then Wiesel concluded with the statement that I have carried with me ever since. He said: "I believe people who can stand together and sing together, can live in peace together." It was so simple and yet so powerful. For people divided by religious, racial, ethnic, national, political or diplomatic differences, if you could find some shared experience, some shared accomplishment that would cause two peoples to stand together and cheer together or sing together, it could produce a bond or a connection that could bridge the gulf that separates them. Eleven years later in October 2012, I saw Wiesel's dictum played out in the Iowa State Capitol as we presented the World Food Prize to Dr. Daniel Hillel, the Jewish Israeli irrigation pioneer, who had been nominated by Arab scientists from three Muslim countries. With the Secretary General of the United Nations participating in presenting our award (called by many the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture), in the audience standing and cheering together were a Muslim royal family member, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Dubai, an Arab Sheikh from Qatar, an Israeli diplomat and Jews and Muslims and Christians and Hindus and Buddhists from 60 countries. Norman Borlaug demonstrated that confronting hunger could bring people together across great differences such as his work in India and Pakistan in the 1960s when the two countries were engaged in hostilities. Iowa has a rich history of such examples of building bridges between adversaries through agriculture, such Soviet Premiere Khrushchev's visit to the Garst Farm and the Yamanashi Hog Lift, both in 1959. But no one ever more powerfully articulated that lesson than Elie Wiesel in the Lutheran Cathedral of Oslo in December 2001   The World Food Prize Foundation Biofortification Pioneers Win 2016 World Food Prize For Fight Against Malnutrition http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39415/biofortification_pioneers_win_2016_world_food_prize_for_fight_against_malnutrition Tue, 28 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39415/biofortification_pioneers_win_2016_world_food_prize_for_fight_against_malnutrition Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515.245.3735 (direct), 563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>   Biofortification Pioneers Win 2016 World Food Prize For Fight Against Malnutrition Four scientists responsible for improving the health of 10 million rural poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to receive $250,000 award Washington, D.C. (June 28, 2016) Drs. Maria Andrade, Robert Mwanga, Jan Low and Howarth Bouis were announced today as the 2016 World Food Prize Laureates during a ceremony at the U.S. State Department. USAID Administrator Gayle Smith gave keynote remarks and applauded the selection. “These four extraordinary World Food Prize Laureates have proven that science matters, and that when matched with dedication, it can change people’s lives,” said Administrator Gayle Smith.  “USAID and our Feed the Future partners are proud to join with renowned research organizations to support critical advances in global food security and nutrition.” The World Food Prize is the most prominent global award for individuals whose breakthrough achievements alleviate hunger and promote global food security. This year’s $250,000 prize will be divided equally between the four recipients. The prize rewards their work in countering world hunger and malnutrition through biofortification, the process of breeding critical vitamins and micronutrients into staple crops. Three of the 2016 laureates -- Dr. Maria Andrade, Dr. Robert Mwanga and Dr. Jan Low of the International Potato Center (CIP), which has had sweetpotato in its research mandate since 1988 -- are being honored for their work developing the single most successful example of biofortification -- the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). Dr. Andrade and Dr. Mwanga, plant scientists in Mozambique and Uganda, bred the Vitamin A-enriched OFSP using genetic material from CIP and other sources, while Dr. Low structured the nutrition studies and programs that convinced almost two million households in 10 separate African countries to plant, purchase and consume this nutritionally fortified food. Dr. Howarth Bouis, the founder of HarvestPlus at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), over a 25-year period pioneered the implementation of a multi-institutional approach to biofortificatoin as a global plant breeding strategy. As a result of his leadership, crops such as iron and zinc fortified beans, rice, wheat and pearl millet, along with Vitamin A-enriched cassava, maize and OFSP are being tested or released in over 40 countries. Thanks to the combined efforts of our four Laureates, over 10 million persons are now positively impacted by biofortified crops, with a potential of several hundred million more in the coming decades. In announcing the names of the 2016 Laureates, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of the World Food Prize, noted “they are truly worthy to be named as the recipients of the award that Dr. Norman E. Borlaug created to be seen as the Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture”. 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the World Food Prize by the late Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug.  “The impact of the work of all four winners will be felt around the globe, but particularly in sub Saharan Africa,” Quinn added. “It is particularly poignant that among our 2016 recipients are two African scientists who are working on solutions to tackle malnutrition in Africa, for Africa.” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Economic and Business Bureau Kurt Tong served as host for the World Food Prize Laureate Announcement Ceremony and Nancy Stetson, Special Representative for Global Food Security delivered remarks from Secretary Kerry. Drs. Andrade, Mwanga, Low and Bouis will receive the World Food Prize at a ceremony that will be held in the magnificent Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines, Iowa, on the evening of October 13, 2016. The event is the centerpiece of a three-day international symposium entitled the Borlaug Dialogue, which regularly draws over 1,200 people from 60 countries to discuss cutting-edge issues in global food security.  Also included in the World Food Prize week-long series of events is the Iowa Hunger Summit on October 10 and the three-day Global Youth Institute, which includes 400 high school students and teachers from across the U.S. and several foreign countries and is designed to inspire the next generation of high school students to explore careers in agriculture and fighting hunger. Visit www.worldfoodprize.org for more information. ### NOTES TO EDITOR A full biography, photos and more information about the 2016 Laureates is available at <a href="/2016laureate">www.worldfoodprize.org/2016Laureate</a> after June 28, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Additional materials from the Laureate Announcement Ceremony, including Ambassador Quinn’s remarks, will be available in the news feed at www.worldfoodprize.org.  Follow the conversation on Twitter using #FoodPrize16. ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The prize was endowed by the Ruan family of Des Moines, Iowa. Businessman John Ruan III now serves as chairman of the Foundation and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia is the president of the organization.  A Selection Committee of experts from around the world oversees the nomination and selection process, and is chaired by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan of India, who was also honored as the first World Food Prize Laureate. Other past Prize winners include former President of Ghana, John Kufour; U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus; Professor Yuan Longping of China and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Catherine Bertini. The World Food Prize Foundation World Food Prize Announces its 2016 Laureate http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39410/world_food_prize_announces_its_2016_laureate Thu, 23 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39410/world_food_prize_announces_its_2016_laureate <img align="inline" alt="" data-mce-src="http://app.meltwaterpress.com/mpress/uploadedimages/2013/2/15/1897281360957473762.png" height="73" src="http://app.meltwaterpress.com/mpress/uploadedimages/2013/2/15/1897281360957473762.png" title="" width="539" /> MEDIA ADVISORY Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events  +1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org World Food Prize Announces its 2016 Laureate Administrator of USAID to Give Keynote Address Washington, D.C. (June 23, 2016) The 2016 winner of the prestigious $250,000 World Food Prize will be announced at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 28, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation, the Prize has been referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture” and is the most prominent global award recognizing an individual who has enhanced human development and confronted hunger by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Economic and Business Bureau Kurt Tong will host the World Food Prize Laureate Announcement Ceremony and Nancy Stetson, Special Representative for Global Food Security will deliver remarks from Secretary Kerry.  Gayle Smith, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development will give the keynote address and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize, will announce the name of the 2016 Laureate. This event is open to the media. It will also be webcast live at <a href="/live">www.worldfoodprize.org/live</a> and <a data-mce-href="http://video.state.gov/live" href="http://video.state.gov/live">http://video.state.gov/live</a>. After the event, video clips will be available at<a data-mce-href="http://www.stateondemand.state.gov/" href="http://www.stateondemand.state.gov/"> www.stateondemand.state.gov</a>. WHEN: Tuesday, June 28, at 11:00 a.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. CDT <ul> <li dir="ltr">Pre-set time for video cameras: 9:45a.m. from the 23rd Street entrance.</li> <li dir="ltr">Final access time for writers and stills:10:00 a.m. from the 23rd Street entrance.</li> </ul> WHERE: Benjamin Franklin Room at the U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. Media should enter via the 23rd Street entrance. RSVPs: This event is open to the media. Media interested in attending the event should contact Nicole Barreca at <a data-mce-href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org" href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>. Media must present one of the following for entry: (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). ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE:   Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, founded the World Food Prize in 1986. Borlaug saw the Prize as a means of establishing role models who would inspire others, and since then has been awarded to outstanding individuals who have made breakthrough achievements contributing to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world. Past winners include ex President of Ghana, John Kufour; US Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Grameen Bank founder Dr Muhammad Yunus; and Ex Executive Director of the World Food Programme Catherine Bertini. Each year, the Laureate is honored at a three-day symposium in October held in Des Moines, Iowa: home of the World Food Prize Foundation. Registration for the Borlaug Dialogue will be open on June 28, 2016, at www.worldfoodprize.org/register. SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: @WorldFoodPrize Facebook: /WorldFoodPrize Hashtag: #FoodPrize16 More information, including a biography and photos of the 2016 World Food Prize Laureate, will be available online after the announcement.   Media Inquiries for this event may be directed to: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events  +1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or <a data-mce-href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org" href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> Kerry Humphrey, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs | <a data-mce-href="mailto:EPPDMedia@state.gov" href="mailto:EPPDMedia@state.gov" target="_blank">EPPDMedia@state.gov</a> # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation Golden Goose Award for 1992 World Food Prize Laureates http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39416/golden_goose_award_for_1992_world_food_prize_laureates Wed, 22 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39416/golden_goose_award_for_1992_world_food_prize_laureates Golden Goose Award to “SEX LIFE OF THE SCREWWORM” Researchers Whose Work Led to Breakthrough Pest Control Technique  Despite decades of ridicule for the focus of their work, two researchers behind the study of the sex life of the screwworm fly will be saluted at a September award ceremony <a href="/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1992_knipling_and_bushland/">Edward F. Knipling</a> and <a href="/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1992_knipling_and_bushland/">Raymond C. Bushland</a> will be posthumously honored later this year for their study of the <a href="http://www.goldengooseaward.org/awardees/screwworms">“sex life of the screwworm fly.”</a> The U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded work led to a novel pest control technique and the eradication of the screwworm fly in North and Central America, saving ranchers in the South and consumers billions of dollars over the past 50-plus years. The <a href="http://www.goldengooseaward.org/">Golden Goose Award</a> honors scientists whose federally funded work may have been considered silly, odd, or obscure when first conducted but has resulted in significant benefits to society. Knipling and Bushland are being cited for research that led to the “sterile insect technique,” in which lab-raised and sterilized male insects are used to overwhelm and eventually eradicate native pest populations. The technique has been heralded as “the only truly original innovation in insect control in [the 20th] century,” and continues to inform ongoing fights against other agricultural pests and insects carrying infectious pathogens, including the tsetse fly and the Aedes aegypti mosquito — the primary culprit in transmission of the Zika virus. “Screwworm research may sound like a joke, but it isn’t. It saved the livestock industry billions and is giving us a way to fight Zika,” said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), who first proposed the Golden Goose Award. “We should trust our scientists more than our politicians when it comes to research priorities.” The two entomological researchers will be honored along with two other teams at the fifth annual Golden Goose Award Ceremony at the Library of Congress on Sept. 22. Descriptions of past winners can be found <a href="http://www.goldengooseaward.org/awardees/">at the Golden Goose Award website.</a> “Sometimes offbeat, quirky-sounding science is the best science, paving the way for discoveries years down the road which can revolutionize medicine, physics, biology, technology and how we view the world,” said Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL), a supporter of the Golden Goose Award since its inception in 2012. “Given the recent rise of infectious diseases like the Zika virus, developing eradication programs for carrier pests is a much-needed field of scientific research. Even though ‘worms’ might make some members of Congress — as well as the public — a little squeamish or skeptical of the research we invest in, these studies by Drs. Edward F. Knipling and Raymond C. Bushland have clearly paid off. I applaud them for their groundbreaking work.” Though most Americans today are not familiar with the screwworm fly, prior to the 1960s, ranchers in the southern U.S. were locked in a constant struggle against the deadly insect. Female screwworms lay their eggs in the wounds of cattle, livestock, and even humans. The eggs hatch into maggots that feed on wounded flesh. The maggots can kill a full size cow in less than two weeks. The pests cost ranchers hundreds of millions of dollars each year in lost livestock and pest management prior to Knipling and Bushland’s innovative “sterile insect technique.” Working at field stations in Texas and Florida in the early 1930s-1950s, Knipling, Bushland, and their colleagues did much of their research on a shoestring budget and in the face of ridicule. When they shared their idea to use sterilized males to overwhelm wild screwworm flies and cause the population to collapse through natural mating behavior, their approach was met with skepticism from peers who said “you just can’t castrate enough flies.” Inspired by the work of Nobel Laureate geneticist Hermann J. Muller, the two demonstrated that they could inflict mass sterilization of insects through irradiation — a feat widely lauded as one of the most important developments in pest control and one of the first peaceful uses of nuclear radiation.   In 1953, after an unexpected request from a Dutch official on the island of Curacao, the researchers completed the first, full-scale field test of the technique on the island. After just three months, not a single sterile egg could be found on the island. The much maligned technique worked even better than predicted. The USDA, with support from state governments and local communities, launched a larger scale effort to eradicate the screwworm fly throughout the southern U.S. By 1982, the screwworm fly had been eradicated across the United States. Since then, the USDA has partnered with countries throughout Central America to wipe out the flies to Panama, where today it maintains a border zone to prevent reinfestation from South America. The eradication effort has cumulatively saved U.S. meat and dairy suppliers billions of dollars over the past 50-plus years, thanks to a modest investment of $250,000 in basic research on screwworm flies. Knipling and Bushland’s work predated the late Sen. William Proxmire’s “Golden Fleece Award,” which was intended to highlight the wasteful excesses of federal spending, but frequently targeted federally funded research. Nevertheless, the “sex life of the screwworm fly” has long been a favorite target of Members of Congress eager to denounce “Washington waste.” “As the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress, I applaud Drs. Knipling and Bushland for their creative and groundbreaking government-funded research. Their research saved the U.S. livestock industry billions of dollars over the last fifty years, and it inspired Nebula Award winning science fiction. Their research is used today for controlling Zika-carrying mosquitos, and it continues serve as an inspiration for cutting-edge research on gene drives,” said Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), Golden Goose Award supporter and former high-energy particle physicist. Knipling and Bushland were honored with the <a href="/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1992_knipling_and_bushland/">1992 World Food Prize</a> for their groundbreaking work—just one of many accolades the two have received in recognition of their contributions to pest control and the eradication of screwworm fly in North and Central America. The work has given U.S. consumers an estimated 5 percent reduction in the price of supermarket beef. In the developing world, the pest control technique is a crucial component of food security and public health. The international screwworm eradication program is now cited as a text-book example of basic science producing enormous returns. About the Golden Goose Award In 2012, a coalition of business, university, and scientific organizations created the Golden Goose Award, conceived by Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) as a strong counterpoint to the citations of basic research as wasteful federal spending by the likes of Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI) and his Golden Fleece Award.  Learn more at <a href="http://www.goldengooseaward.org/history/">http://www.goldengooseaward.org/history/</a>. The World Food Prize Foundation The World Food Prize Selects a Record 24 High School Students for Prestigious International Internship http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39077/the_world_food_prize_selects_a_record_24_high_school_students_for_prestigious_international_internship Mon, 09 May 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/39077/the_world_food_prize_selects_a_record_24_high_school_students_for_prestigious_international_internship FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact:  Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events +1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@wordlfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> The World Food Prize Selects a Record 24 High School Students for Prestigious International Internship Students from Iowa and across the country will go abroad this summer to gain firsthand experience at international research centers, working to alleviate global hunger.   Des Moines, Iowa (May 9, 2016) – The World Food Prize Foundation announced on Saturday that it will send a record 24 high school students abroad for internships at renowned international research centers and NGOs this summer. The students hail from Iowa and 12 other states and will delve into issues relating to hunger and poverty during eight-week, all-expenses-paid internships in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The program, which was created by Dr. Norman Borlaug and John Ruan, Sr. in 1998, seeks to inspire the next generation of agricultural scientists and to expose them to the wide array of fields related to global food security. The program has grown significantly over the past 18 years, initially sending just two students overseas the first year. Over the years, 250 young people have participated in the internship with significant impact on their educational and career choices. For example, 2015 Borlaug Ruan-Intern Trevor Clemens from What Cheer, Iowa, spent his 8-week experience at the International Livestock Research Institute in Ethiopia. “The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship Program is a program that has changed my life, and inspired me to be the person I am today by developing my passion for agricultural industries and development,” Clemens said.  “My experiences in Ethiopia have left me with the utmost inspiration for many, and have helped me to see the world in a new perspective." During the orientation for the 2016 interns this past weekend World Food Prize President, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, spoke to the interns and expressed the importance of today’s generation in the fight against world hunger. “It was our founder, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug's most ardent hope that by engaging young people in actual hunger-fighting research, they will be inspired to pursue academic and career paths in science, food, agricultural and natural resource disciplines, and thus be prepared to become tomorrow’s innovative scientific and humanitarian leaders,” Quinn said. “Nearly 1 billion people go hungry every day. As the world faces a growing population, climate volatility and other global challenges, the next generation will be charged with continuing the battle against hunger and finding new solutions to feed the world.” <a href="/en/youth_programs/borlaugruan_international_internship/">The Borlaug-Ruan Internship</a> is a unique program that allows student interns to participate in projects with distinguished researchers at leading agricultural research centers around the globe. While getting a firsthand view of real and pressing food security issues and nutrition problems in poverty-stricken areas, the students become an integral part of a project, spending time in the lab as well as days or weeks at a time in the field conducting research and interviews, and gathering data. The interns are involved in a myriad of global projects dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger such as: fisheries and aquaculture studies; plant biotechnology research; micro-credit and the women’s self-help concept; the influence of education on household food security; livestock value chains; and the calculation of Vitamin C concentration in numerous potato varieties.   A prerequisite for the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship is attending the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, which occurs each October and exposes students to opportunities associated with careers in agricultural, natural resource, life sciences and affiliated fields.  Youth Institute participants present research papers and interact with World Food Prize Laureates and renowned experts to discuss issues relating to food security throughout the world.  A list of the 24 Borlaug-Ruan International Interns, including photos, can be found online at: <a href="/2016interns">www.worldfoodprize.org/2016interns</a>. “The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship provided me not only with technical knowledge, but I also gained valuable life skills of independence and determination,” said Paige Meyers, 2015 Borlaug-Ruan Intern from Boone, Iowa. “During my summer at BRAC in Bangladesh I made countless connections and memories that I'll have for a lifetime. Thanks to the World Food Prize, I have a much better idea of how I will make a contribution to improving food security in the world.” 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. ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE YOUTH PROGRAMS: The World Food Prize holds statewide youth institutes in several states to inspire young people to continue the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug and fight hunger by pursuing educational and career paths in global agriculture; the goal is to eventually have every school in our home state of Iowa participate. The top students each year and others from around the country are invited to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October, where they participate in other World Food Prize events such as the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and the Laureate Award Ceremony. There, youth interact with experts, participate in hunger relief programs and activities, and present their research findings to peers and global leaders. Over 20 students from the programs each year are then selected as Borlaug-Ruan International Interns, and are sent on all-expenses-paid, eight-week internships at research centers in Asia, Africa, Latin American and the Middle East. Finally, students who participate in the World Food Prize youth programs are also eligible to apply for Wallace-Carver internships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute Reaches Record Participation http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38977/world_food_prizeiowayouthinstitutereaches_record_participation Thu, 28 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38977/world_food_prizeiowayouthinstitutereaches_record_participation FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515.245.3735 (direct), 563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute Reaches Record Participation  The STEM program hosted over 1000 students in the last five years, and continues reaching and inspiring students across Iowa to fight hunger in their hometowns and to explore STEM career paths. Students participated in engaging activities and interacted with Governor Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, Congressman David Young, Iowa State University President Steven Leath and over 100 Iowa leaders and experts.  (Des Moines, Iowa) April 28, 2015 – Last Monday, the fifth anniversary of the World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute brought together nearly 300 students from 130 high schools to Iowa State University to explore critical global food security issues and discover academic and career paths in STEM fields. The Iowa Youth Institute has reached over 58 percent of Iowa schools since its inception in 2011, and has been referred to as the most significant event to inspire Iowa high school students to focus on the global issues in STEM. Governor Terry Branstad, as the keynote speaker, spoke to the students about Norman Borlaug’s dream of feeding the world through small collective efforts. “My hope is that, being here today…will inspire you in all of your lifelong efforts, and fill you with Borlaug-like determination to overcome all obstacles and succeed in all that you do.” Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds emphasized the importance of STEM education and challenged all Iowa high schools to join the Iowa Youth Institute in 2017. “We need to have the most well educated generation in the history of our state,” Reynolds said. “We [were] so impressed with these World Food Prize programs that we recommended them as a model to be emulated on a national basis.” The President of Iowa State University, Dr. Steven Leath expressed his hope that the high school students would be inspired by the leaders and educators participating in the Iowa Youth Institute to join the mission to make a difference in the world and feed the 9 billion on our planet by 2050. “Not only do we need to be able to produce enough food, feed, fiber, and fuel to meet the needs of all of these people,” Leath said, “we need to produce it in an environmentally sustainable and secure way, and we need to ensure the population has proper access to high-quality food.” Other speakers at the event included DuPont Pioneer Director of Regulatory Strategy & Industry Relations Dr. Kevin Diehl, and Nora Tobin, Executive Director of Self-Help International. Joining these two leaders were World Food Prize Youth Program alumni, who encouraged the students to continue the global fight against hunger. The event included over 75 industry professionals and business leaders who served as roundtable discussion experts and special guests during the student networking luncheon. Honored guests at the event included Congressman David Young, Mrs. Janet Leath and Mrs. Claudia Schickler - co-founder of the Iowa Youth Institute with her husband and DuPont Pioneer President Paul Schickler. Students were able to network with and learn from these professionals during the luncheon. Dr. Norman Borlaug, Iowa’s great hero whose statue is now ensconced in the U.S. Capitol for his exceptional agricultural and humanitarian achievements, founded the World Food Prize and also envisioned the World Food Prize Youth Programs as the way to inspire the next generation of scientists and humanitarians to pursue education and careers in critical global food security fields. “Norman Borlaug and John Ruan Sr. started the World Food Prize Youth Programs to inspire the next generation to become involved in our food system, and to have that spark of curiosity that will compel them to confront the greatest challenge in human history: whether we can sustainably and nutritiously feed the more than 9 billion people who will be on our planet by 2050,” said Amb. Kenneth M. Quinn, president of The World Food Prize Foundation. The Iowa Youth Institute connects students interested in science, agriculture and related fields with Iowa leaders and innovators. Each participating high school student has written a research paper on a key issue - such as environmental volatility, nutrition, water scarcity or gender inequality - that impacts hunger in a developing country. Sophomore Olivia Tidwell from East High School of the Sioux City Community School District said, “Being a part of the World Food Prize helped me realize that agriculture is so much more than farms; it’s learning how to feed the world.” During the event, the students proposed their solutions in small-group roundtable discussions facilitated by academic and industry experts. Students also engaged in interactive immersion sessions, which cover topics of plant genetics, human nutrition, food insecurity in Iowa, sustainability, and the environment. Oelwein High School senior Tony Rau said that his experience at the Institute opened his eyes to the issues around world hunger. He said, “The other students in my roundtable pointed out a lot of different solutions, and I realized that there is not a single solution to all the problems, but many small things that need to be done by everybody.” The impact of this event lasts beyond the afternoon: 92 percent of students that participate in the World Food Prize Youth Programs went on to pursue college degrees in science and agriculture, while 77 percent of students chose a career field related to agriculture, food, science, or food security. “For students who attended the institute, this is one of their first experiences facing food security issues. The Iowa Youth Institute combines the students’ passion for service with their interest in STEM, leaving a lasting impression on how they can make a positive difference in the lives of others in their future careers,” said Jacob Hunter, Director of Iowa Education at the World Food Prize. “The Iowa Youth Institute is the foremost leading program for students to learn about food security issues from around the world without leaving the state,” said Bridget Mahoney, educator from Lone Tree high school. “The IYI provided my students an opportunity to collaborate with world-class experts and learn from their peers.” More information is available at <a href="/iowayouth" target="_blank">www.worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth</a>. Photos are available at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theworldfoodprize/albums">http://www.flickr.com/photos/theworldfoodprize/albums</a> and high resolution photos are available upon request. 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. ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE YOUTH PROGRAMS: The World Food Prize holds statewide youth institutes in several states to inspire young people to continue the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug and fight hunger by pursuing educational and career paths in global agriculture; the goal is to eventually have every school in our home state of Iowa participate. The top students each year and others from around the country are invited to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October, where they participate in other World Food Prize events such as the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and the Laureate Award Ceremony. There, youth interact with experts, participate in hunger relief programs and activities, and present their research findings to peers and global leaders.   # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation World Food Prize STEM Program Marks Fifth Year with 500 High School Students and Teachers http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38891/world_food_prize_stem_program_marks_fifth_year_with_500_high_school_students_and_teachers Thu, 21 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38891/world_food_prize_stem_program_marks_fifth_year_with_500_high_school_students_and_teachers MEDIA ADVISORY CONTACT: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events 515.245.3735 (direct), 563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> World Food Prize STEM Program Marks Fifth year with 500 High School Students and Teachers The World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute is a growing model STEM program, working to spark students’ interests for STEM and the agricultural career paths. Students will participate in unique interactive labs and network with Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, ISU President Steve Leath, and faculty and business leaders. (Des Moines, Iowa) April 21, 2016 – The World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute has more than tripled in size and reaches over 58 percent of Iowa high schools since it was inaugurated as a unique private-public partnership in 2011. As it celebrates its fifth anniversary, the Iowa Youth Institute has engaged with over 1000 students from more than 225 schools across the state and has served as a national model for 17 other state youth institutes across the country, all through leadership from the World Food Prize. On Monday, April 25, over 500 students, teachers and experts from across Iowa will gather on the campus of Iowa State University for this annual high school STEM exploration program to discuss critical global food security issues and discover academic and career paths in STEM and agriculture-related fields. Governor Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will address the students, as will Iowa State University president Steve Leath and Dupont Pioneer Director of Regulatory Strategy & Industry Relations Kevin Diehl. Each participating high school student has written a research paper on a key issue, such as environmental volatility, soil degradation, nutrition, water scarcity or gender inequality, that impacts hunger in a developing country. During the event, the students will propose their solutions in small-group roundtable discussions facilitated by academic and industry experts. Students will also engage in interactive immersion sessions, which cover topics of plant genetics, human nutrition, food insecurity in Iowa, sustainability and the environment. “Norman Borlaug and John Ruan Sr. started the World Food Prize Youth Programs to inspire the next generation to become involved in our food system, and to have that spark of curiosity that will compel them to confront the greatest challenge in human history: whether we can sustainably and nutritiously feed the more than 9 billion people who will be on our planet by 2050,” said Amb. Kenneth M. Quinn, president of The World Food Prize Foundation. Dr. Norman Borlaug, Iowa’s great hero, whose statue is now enshrined in the U.S. Capitol for his exceptional agricultural and humanitarian achievements, founded the World Food Prize and also envisioned this and other World Food Prize youth programs as the way to inspire the next generation of scientists and humanitarians to pursue education and careers in critical global food security fields.  “With the skills and connections I gained from the World Food Prize, I was able to travel to India. While in India, I worked as a service learner in the areas of food, nutrition and health," said Ella Gehrke a junior at Iowa State and graduate of Waukee High School. “I can speak from experience that the Iowa Youth Institute can change a student's life. After participating in the Iowa Youth Institute, I found a career path: I now attend Iowa State University as a Global Resource Systems major with a focus in emerging global diseases.” Other World Food Prize youth programs also include the Global Youth Institute, the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship, the USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship and the George Washington Carver College Internship program. More information is available at <a href="/iowayouth" target="_blank">www.worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth</a>. EVENT DETAILS: This year's Iowa Youth Institute will take place Monday, April 25, at the Hilton Coliseum and the Scheman Center at Iowa State University in Ames, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Media are welcome to attend. WHEN: 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. Student & Teacher Registration and Reception: Hilton Coliseum 9 a.m – 9:50 a.m. Opening Session: Hilton Coliseum Speakers: Steve Leath, Amb. Ken Quinn, Kevin Diehl 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Roundtable Discussion Groups: Scheman Building & Hilton Coliseum Immersion Sessions: Scheman Building, Hilton Coliseum & Iowa State Campus 12:10 p.m. – 1 p.m.           Student and Expert Luncheon: Hilton Coliseum 1 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. Keynote Address: Hilton Coliseum Speakers: Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds           1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.        Roundtable Discussion Groups: Scheman Building & Hilton Coliseum Immersion Sessions: Scheman Building, Hilton Coliseum & Iowa State Campus 3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m. Student Alumni Session: Hilton Coliseum 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Student Networking Reception and Refreshments: Hilton Coliseum WHERE: The Hilton Coliseum and the Scheman Center at Iowa State University, Ames and various laboratories across the campus. (Located at the corner of University and Lincoln Way; Enter from Center Drive.) MEDIA DETAILS: Please check in at the registration desk at Hilton Coliseum (South Doors). Media are welcome to attend any and all parts of the day. SOCIAL MEDIA:  Twitter: @TheNextNormIA and @WorldFoodPrize, using the hashtag #IYI16. <img alt="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/8CBWEZYl_gju-O0mEKjDNw0Eh_qIbYUu1oZBKfZqOypmLO1gU9NfBBUnKK5HrwoN-VKG8iQn_PvQpZDlbxq0IwVL9dQOy_HcGJ0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" border="0" height="1" src="file:///C:\Users\nbarreca\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" width="1" />Instagram: @TheNextNormIA and @WorldFoodPrize Facebook: /TheNextNormIA and /WorldFoodPrize 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. ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE YOUTH PROGRAMS: The World Food Prize holds statewide youth institutes in several states to inspire young people to continue the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug and fight hunger by pursuing educational and career paths in global agriculture; the goal is to eventually have every school in our home state of Iowa participate. The top students each year and others from around the country are invited to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October, where they participate in other World Food Prize events such as the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and the Laureate Award Ceremony. There, youth interact with experts, participate in hunger relief programs and activities, and present their research findings to peers and global leaders. Over 20 students from the programs each year are then selected as Borlaug-Ruan International Interns, and are sent on all-expenses-paid, eight-week internships at research centers in Asia, Africa, Latin American and the Middle East. Finally, students who participate in the World Food Prize youth programs are also eligible to apply for Wallace-Carver internships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation World Food Prize Laureate Rev. David Beckmann Honored for Work With the World's Poorest and Most Vulnerable communities http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38831/world_food_prize_laureate_rev_david_beckmann_honored_for_work_with_the_worlds_poorest_and_most_vulnerable_communities Thu, 14 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38831/world_food_prize_laureate_rev_david_beckmann_honored_for_work_with_the_worlds_poorest_and_most_vulnerable_communities <section> WASHINGTON, April 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, InterAction formally announced the list of individuals and groups to be honored at InterAction's April Forum for outstanding leadership in the efforts to help the world's poorest and most vulnerable communities. This year's Forum award recipients have made significant contributions to respective efforts to help end global hunger, protect civilians in the Syrian civil war, safeguard relief workers in Sierra Leone, advocate for the rights of older and disabled persons and build continued support in Congress for a robust U.S. foreign policy. Honorees this year include: <ul type="disc"> <li><a href="/en/laureates/2010__2013_laureates/2010__beckmann_and_luck/">David Beckmann</a>, president of Bread for the World -- Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award</li> <li>Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), senior U.S. senator, South Carolina -- InterAction Congressional Leadership Award</li> <li>Davidson Jonah (Sierra Leone), global field operations director for ChildFund International -- InterAction Security Advisory Group Distinguished Achievement Award</li> <li>Raed Saleh (Syria), head of Syria Civil  Defense -- InterAction Humanitarian Award</li> <li>HelpAge USA -- InterAction Disability Inclusion Award</li> <li>Abhijit Dey (India), photographer -- InterAction Effective Assistance Photography Award</li> </ul> </section> <section> All awards will be presented during InterAction's annual Forum (April 18-20) at the Washington Marriott, Wardman Park (Note: Additional information on each honoree is included below). "Each year, InterAction acknowledges the contribution of individuals and organizations to help build a more sustainable world where all people live in freedom, prosperity, dignity and peace," said InterAction President Lindsay Coates. "Through their advocacy, art, leadership, vigilance and action, our honorees have touched thousands of people living in poverty or crisis around the world," Coates added. "They exemplify the values of persistence, determination and hope that our community shares. And InterAction is deeply appreciative for their respective efforts and successes in improving the lives of people in poor, underserved or conflict-torn regions." Meet InterAction's 2016 Forum Award Winners <ul type="disc"> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.bread.org/bio/david-beckmann" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Beckmann</a> -- 2016 Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award Winner. Beckmann is one of the foremost U.S. advocates for hungry and poor people and a World Food Prize laureate. He has been president of Bread for the World since 1991, leading large-scale and successful campaigns to strengthen U.S. political commitment to overcome hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#beckman" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More About the Award</a>: InterAction's Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award honors outstanding and distinguished leaders in the community of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)</a> -- 2016 Congressional Leadership Award Winner. Graham was first elected to the United States Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2008 and 2014. During his tenure, Graham has earned a reputation as a conservative problem-solver and one of the strongest proponents of a robust national defense.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#graham" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More About the Award:</a> InterAction's Congressional Leadership Award honors a member of Congress who has made significant contributions as a leader and advocates for U.S. foreign aid, humanitarian assistance and/or other international, poverty-focused areas in which InterAction's members work.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#SAG" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Davidson Jonah</a> -- 2016 Security Advisory Group Distinguished Achievement Award Winner.  Jonah first joined ChildFund International in his home country of Sierra Leone in 1985, and has worked in places like Chad, Guinea, Senegal andIndonesia. Over the past 30 years he has dedicated his career to ensuring humanitarian relief efforts around the globe are undertaken in a safe and secure environment.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#SAG" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More About the Award:</a> InterAction's Security Advisory Group Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes exceptional performance by NGO security professionals, particularly those who significantly contribute to NGOs' abilities to protect their personnel, assets, information or operations overseas.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#saleh" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Raed Saleh</a> -- 2016 InterAction Humanitarian Award. Saleh leads more than 2,800 intrepid search-and-rescue volunteers as head of Syria Civil Defense. Known as "The White Helmets," these unarmed and neutral civilians have saved more than 40,000 lives in Syria.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#saleh" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More About the Award</a>: InterAction's Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual or individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in support of NGOs and the people they serve in the developing world.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.helpageusa.org/who-we-are/about-us/" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HelpAge USA</a> -- 2016 Disability Inclusion Award Winner. HelpAge USA assists older people claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty, to lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives. HelpAge is being honored for its work in Nepal to establish a working group on older persons as well as its leadership in a taskforce in Pakistan on older persons and people with disabilities.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#DIA" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More About the Award</a>: InterAction's Disability Inclusion Award honors member agencies that have worked toward greater disability inclusion in programs/management and have expanded leadership opportunities for people with disabilities.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#photo" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abhijit Dey</a> -- 2016 InterAction Effective Assistance Photography Award. Since studying at the Photographic Association of Dum Dum in Calcutta, India, Dey has received many honorable distinctions in international photography and has served as judge in national and international contests around the globe.</li> <li><a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards#photo" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More About the Award</a>: InterAction's Effective Assistance Photography Award honors a photographer whose provocative photos focus on the incredible humanitarian and development work done in the field.</li> </ul> For more information about the 2016 InterAction Forum Award recipients, visit: <a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.interaction.org/forum-2016-awards</a>. About InterAction InterAction is the largest U.S. alliance of nongovernmental international organizations, with more than 180 members. Our members operate in every developing country, working with local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve their quality of life. Visit <a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.interaction.org/" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.interaction.org</a>. <a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="https://twitter.com/interactionorg" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow InterAction on Twitter</a> | <a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.facebook.com/interaction.org" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit InterAction on Facebook</a> | <a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://www.youtube.com/user/interaction" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to InterAction's YouTube Channel</a> Logo - <a data-include="300251930" data-omniture="http://photos.prnewswire.com/prn/20121101/DC04603LOGO" href="javascript:void(0)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://photos.prnewswire.com/prn/20121101/DC04603LOGO</a>   </section> The World Food Prize Foundation World Food Prize Laureate Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Honored at University of Michigan http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38766/world_food_prize_laureate_sir_fazle_hasan_abed_honored_at_university_of_michigan Fri, 08 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38766/world_food_prize_laureate_sir_fazle_hasan_abed_honored_at_university_of_michigan Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of Brac, has received the Thomas Francis Jr Medal in Global Public Health award from the University of Michigan. Mark Schlissel, president of the university, presented the medal to the development activist at a ceremony at the Ross School of Business on Wednesday, a Brac statement said. Sir Abed was recognised for his work to ensure a healthier future for people living in poverty worldwide. The medal, periodically awarded to a global leader whose work addresses the most pressing global health challenges, honours the legacy of the University of Michigan epidemiologist who mentored Dr Jonas Salk in his development of the polio vaccine. “It is indeed a great honour to receive the Thomas Francis Jr Medal in Global Public Health,” said Sir Abed at the award ceremony. “It gives me tremendous pleasure and I thank the University of Michigan for bestowing this prestigious award on me,” he added. In a statement, the 80-year-old, who was knighted by the Queen in 2010, also said there is much excitement today about the potential of new technology to end human poverty. “This can make us forget that many solutions already exist. We can reach millions more today by focusing less on 'what' and more on 'how'.” The Brac, the world's largest non-governmental organisation in terms of coverage, in the 1970s pioneered a new approach to treating diarrheal disease in Bangladesh known as Oral Rehydration Therapy. The NGO reached 12 million mothers almost entirely through person-to-person education, revolutionising health delivery in the country, said the statement. The organisation breaks the cycle of contamination caused by limited access to toilets, latrines and safe water sources, especially in rural areas. By focusing on innovation, technical assistance, and community-based education, Brac water and sanitation for health committees have reached 38 million people, largely in rural areas of the country, according to the statement.   Sir Abed has been honoured with numerous national and international awards for his achievements in fighting poverty. The awards include the World Food Prize, the Trust Women Hero Award, the Spanish Order of Civil Merit, the Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal, the WISE Prize for Education, the Entrepreneur for the World Award, and the Clinton Global Citizen Award. The World Food Prize Foundation 3rd Annual Iowa Hunger Directory Release Announced by World Food Prize Foundation Vice President http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38673/3rd_annual_iowa_hunger_directory_release_announced_by_world_food_prize_foundation_vice_president Thu, 31 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38673/3rd_annual_iowa_hunger_directory_release_announced_by_world_food_prize_foundation_vice_president FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact:  Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events +1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@wordlfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> 3rd Annual Iowa Hunger Directory Release Announced by World Food Prize Foundation Vice President Des Moines, Iowa (March 31, 2016) – In honor of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s 102nd birthday anniversary and International Women’s Day the World Food Prize announced the release of the 3rd Annual Iowa Hunger Directory on Tuesday evening at the Hall of Laureates. In conjunction with announcement, the Foundation hosted Women and Agriculture: Road to Global Security. Partnering with Oxfam America and Foods Resource Bank, the program featured local and international hunger fighters who are all listed in the Hunger Directory. Keynoting the event was Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Iowa’s first female U.S. senator and an agriculture advocate. The Iowa Hunger Directory is an extension of the October Iowa Hunger Summit event, and is updated online year-round connecting Iowa hunger fighters and volunteers to organizations and events statewide.  More than 500 Iowa organizations are listed in the Iowa Hunger Directory, and the website includes profiles of each organization, a map to locate organizations in your community, and a calendar of upcoming hunger fighting events and volunteer opportunities. "Through the Iowa Hunger Directory website and newsletters, we facilitate networking and collaboration among the many Iowans whose daily efforts are moving us closer to realizing Dr. Norman Borlaug's dream of a hunger-free Iowa and food-secure world,” said Mashal Husain, vice president of the World Food Prize Foundation.  All of Iowa’s living former governors and Governor Terry E. Branstad serve as honorary co-founders of the Iowa Hunger Summit and the Iowa Hunger Directory. Also featured at the event was Olga Tumax, a Guatemalan farmer and community organizer who has taught women in remote villages how to prepare organic pesticides, build low-cost greenhouses and add nutritious options to their food supply.  Tumax was joined by Hugo Garrido, from CIEDEG, a Guatemalan food-security organization supported by Foods Resource Bank and Church World Service. Garrido discussed his experiences with rural families in the region. In addition to the presentations, the event featured nine local organizations that are dedicated to fighting hunger and featured in the 3rd edition of the Directory. <ul> <li>Church World Service</li> <li>Des Moines Area Religious Council</li> <li>Drake University</li> <li>Foods Resource Bank</li> <li>Iowa International Center</li> <li>Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences</li> <li>Oxfam AmericaSelf-Help International</li> <li>Women, Food and Agriculture Network</li> </ul> “There are quite a few directories in the state but the Iowa Hunger Directory is quite possibly the most comprehensive and up-to-date. I find it very useful,” said Cory Berkenes, executive director of the Iowa Food Bank Association. All of the interactive online tools and an updated, printable version of the Iowa Hunger Directory will be available on April 7, 2016 at <a href="http://www.iowahungerdirectory.org/">www.iowahungerdirectory.org</a>. To register your organization for the Iowa Hunger Directory, visit <a href="/shareyourstory">www.worldfoodprize.org/shareyourstory</a>. You can also submit an event at <a href="/shareyourevent">www.worldfoodprize.org/shareyourevent</a>. Background: Norman Borlaug, born in Iowa in 1914, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work developing more productive wheat varieties and staving off hunger in many parts of the world. The State of Iowa placed his statue in the U.S. Capitol one year ago today. Borlaug created the World Food Prize to recognize and inspire breakthrough achievements in feeding the world. In 2007, Borlaug started the Iowa Hunger Summit, with four Iowa governors serving as honorary co-chairs, to celebrate Iowa’s great successes in fighting hunger and poverty at home and abroad, and to unite in further action against both. Every year, the Iowa Hunger Summit, a free, one-day event, is held in conjunction with the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue symposium and Laureate Award Ceremony. Iowa Hunger Facts: <ul> <li>1 in 8 Iowans are food insecure.</li> <li>1 in 5 Iowa children does not have enough to eat.</li> <li>395,620 Iowans live at or below the poverty level.</li> </ul> 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/press. # # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation Women and Agriculture: The Road to Global Security http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38632/women_and_agriculture_the_road_to_global_security Mon, 28 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38632/women_and_agriculture_the_road_to_global_security FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact:  Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events <a data-mce-href="tel:%2B1.515.245.3735" href="tel:%2B1.515.245.3735" target="_blank">+1.515.245.3735</a> (direct), <a data-mce-href="tel:%2B1.563.271.2995" href="tel:%2B1.563.271.2995" target="_blank">+1.563.271.2995</a> (cell), or <a data-mce-href="mailto:nbarreca@wordlfoodprize.org" href="mailto:nbarreca@wordlfoodprize.org" target="_blank">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>   Women and Agriculture: The Road to Global Security Des Moines, Iowa (March 28, 2016) – In honor of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s 102nd birthday and International Women’s Day the World Food Prize Foundation, in collaboration with Oxfam America and Foods Resource Bank, is hosting “Women and Agriculture: The Road to Global Security” on March 29 at the Hall of Laureates.  The Honorable Joni Ernst, Iowa’s first female senator and an agriculture advocate, will keynote the presentation as she focuses on the importance of women’s role in global security. Ernst will be joined by Olga Tumax, a Guatemalan farmer who has taught women in remote villages how to prepare organic pesticides, build low-cost greenhouses and add nutritional options to their food supply. Tumax will center her presentation on her experience in the field. Nora Tobin, the Executive Director of Self-Help International, will also present her organization’s work in empowering women in Ghana and Hugo Garrido from Foods Resource Bank’s food security program in Guatemala will discuss his experiences with rural families in the region. Who: Senator Joni Ernst (Keynote Speaker) Olga Tumax from Guatemala (Smallholder Farmer) When: March 29, 2016 Exhibits open at 6:00 p.m. and program begins at 7:00 p.m.  Where: World Food Prize Hall of Laureates 100 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309 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 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. Thirty-nine 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 annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and a variety of youth education programs to help further the discussion on cutting-edge hunger and food security issues and inspire the next generation to end hunger. ### The World Food Prize Foundation The Missing Monument on the National Mall --A Tribute to Norman Borlaug on His 102nd Birth Anniversary http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38602/the_missing_monument_on_the_national_mall_a_tribute_to_norman_borlaug_on_his_102nd_birth_anniversary Wed, 23 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38602/the_missing_monument_on_the_national_mall_a_tribute_to_norman_borlaug_on_his_102nd_birth_anniversary <div dir="ltr">By: Ambassador Kenneth Quinn World Food Prize President When Speaker Paul Ryan walks out onto his balcony on the west side of the Capitol, he has the breathtaking view of the National Mall sweeping to the west, lined with the monuments to America's greatest achievements. </div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">As the chairman of the Iowa Norman Borlaug Statue Committee, I had the opportunity to experience this thrilling sight as we planned the unveiling of the seven foot bronze likeness of Borlaug, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and our country's greatest agricultural scientist, which took place in Statuary Hall on March 25, 2014, the exact 100th anniversary of his birth on an Iowa farm. <div> </div> <div>Straight ahead, I could see the Washington Monument, the symbol of our prevailing in the Revolutionary War and our first president's leadership as we threw off colonial rule. Directly to the south is the Jefferson Memorial, honoring the Virginian who served as our third president and wrote the Declaration of Independence. Along Constitution Avenue is the National Archives, which houses both that Declaration and the Constitution, the two documents that undergird the longest lasting democracy in human history. </div> <div> </div> <div>At the far end of this broad expanse, is the Lincoln Memorial, the enduring tribute to President Abraham Lincoln's historic role in emancipation, ending slavery and keeping the Union intact through victory in the Civil War. Between Washington and Lincoln is the World War II Victory Monument, commemorating the unprecedented accomplishment of "the Greatest Generation" in prevailing in a two front war in the Atlantic and Pacific. </div> <div> </div> <div>The National Air and Space Museum brings attention to extraordinary American innovation in the 20th century, first on the part of the Wright Brothers in carrying out the first manned airplane flight in history and then only six decades later NASA placing humans on the moon. </div> <div> </div> <div>As I stood there, I thought to myself that surely most Americans would include all of these historic events on any list of America's greatest accomplishments. But, there are other significant memorials and monuments as well.</div> <div> </div> <div>Reflecting the contemporary challenge of civil rights is the imposing statue of Martin Luther King, jr. the martyr who gave his life to bring equality and justice to black Americans. The new African American Museum will commemorate the tortuous path that the descendants of the first Africans who were brought to North America have had to follow as well as their definitive contributions to American culture. As such, it will be the latest extension of the imposing Smithsonian Institute on the Mall, which catalogues our history and place in the world.</div> <div> </div> <div>Also on the Mall are the Korean War and Vietnam War monuments honoring the valor and sacrifices of American military personnel in those difficult struggles and which, in the case of the latter, I participated. The National Holocaust Museum ensures that our national attention will always include and reflect the impact of the genocide that took the lives six million Jews. </div> <div> </div> <div>But as my gaze spanned all of these incredible edifices, I noticed that there is one extraordinary American achievement which has no monument or national recognition - our country's amazing food production and the underlying pageantry of American agriculture. It is an egregious omission.</div> <div> </div> <div> In the 10,000 years since the first farmers in Mesopotamia --almost certainly women--planted the first wheat seeds, human beings have strived to produce enough food to sustain all the members of their community. No country has ever succeeded in the way that America has. </div> <div> </div> <div>Indeed, the combination of highly productive hard working farm families, the greatest ever assemblage of agricultural research scientists on the campuses of land grant institutions, the technological advances and innovations of American agribusinesses, and the programs and policies of the US Department of Agriculture and its extension agents, have all combined to produce crop yields and food production unrivaled in the world. </div> <div> </div> <div>The bottom line is that in the past 60 years, America, through its domestic farm efficiency and foreign assistance programs led "the single greatest period of food production and hunger reduction in all human history." </div> <div> </div> <div>And yet, this achievement is little recognized outside the relatively small American agricultural community, and all too often the availability of food at quite cheap prices is taken for granted. </div> <div> </div> <div>As I stood there, I took some solace that with Borlaug's statue ensconced in the U.S. Capitol, it would serve as a symbol of our extraordinary agricultural attainments. But it still seemed that a monument on the National Mall was missing.</div> <div> </div> <div>So, at a recent White House conference on Raising the Profile of Agriculture, I proposed several additional steps related to Norman Borlaug's legacy that could further advance understanding of our great national achievement in agriculture, and, at the same time, provide the inspiration we need as we confront the greatest challenge our country and the world has ever faced: sustainably and nutritiously producing enough food to feed the 9 plus billion people who will be on our planet by 2050. </div> <div> </div> <div>As we celebrate the 102nd anniversary of his birth, consider the following:</div> <div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">---Borlaug, the Iowa farm boy who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as Father of the Green Revolution and for bringing greatly increased wheat production to India and Pakistan as they faced imminent mass starvation, has been described as the, "Man who has saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived." </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">---On the base of his statue in Statuary Hall of the US Capitol is the statement "The Man Who Saved A Billion Lives." On the front are replicas of his Nobel Peace Prize medal, Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom. In all the history of our country, there are only three Americans who have received those three highest awards : Martin Luther King jr. And Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor, both of whom have monuments honoring them on the Mall; and that farm boy from Howard County in northeast Iowa-- Norman Borlaug;</div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">---Borlaug is arguably, in terms of life achievements, the single greatest graduate of the American land-grant university and college system, since it was created in 1862 when Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act providing federal land for a system of universities which would conduct agricultural research and extension and train engineers to build roads and support infrastructure. </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">---He is not just an American icon. Statues of Borlaug have been erected by farmers in Mexico and scientists in India. His last words "Take it to the farmer" was the theme of the Ugandan national agricultural fair. And, most extraordinarily, the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran held a special ceremony to celebrate the centennial of his birth.</div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">---Borlaug was the founder of the World Food Prize foundation that I currently lead. He created it in 1986 with the goal that it might come to be seen as the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture." Each October, on or about World Food Day ( October 16 ), we welcome about 1,200 participants from 60 countries to Des Moines as we: hold our Borlaug Dialogue international symposium; present our $250,000 award;and gather 200 high school students and their teachers at our Global Youth Institute. This October 12-14, we will celebrate our 30th anniversary.</div> <div> </div> <div>Given all of the above, I believe Norman Borlaug offers the opportunity to raise the profile of agriculture in America and inspire the next generation to pursue education and careers in agricultural science and STEM related subjects. To this end, I recommended at the White House that the following take place:</div> <div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">--Establishing March 25, the anniversary of Borlaug's birth in 1914, as the permanent date for National Ag Day, when traditionally farm and agriculture related groups, including FFA and 4-H, descend on Washington.</div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">--Encouraging all land grant colleges and universities to offer an entry level class entitled BORLAUG 101 on the history of food and agriculture;</div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">--Urging those same institutions of higher learning to inaugurate or expand a World Food Prize Youth Institute on their campus, with a goal of reaching into every high school in their state, to motivate students to study STEM subjects and become engaged in 21st century challenges such as: climate volatility; water scarcity; biotechnology; enhanced nutrition; and sustainability; and</div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">--Making a public call to place a monument on the National Mall or Capitol grounds dedicated to honoring all those who made American agriculture and food production one of the greatest achievements in the history of our republic. </div> <div style="margin-left: 40px;"> </div> <div>Such a monument could include Borlaug, with his links to several land grant universities, but might also honor such other historic American figures as: George Washington Carver, the legendary African American agricultural scientist; Jessie Field Shambaugh, the woman school teacher whose after school clubs grew into 4-H; agri-business pioneer and Agriculture Secretary Henry A. Wallace. </div> <div> </div> <div>Most significantly, any monument should also include a pioneer farm family, representing the thousands and thousands of families that have, over multiple generations, diligently worked the soil and built the foundation of America which enabled our country to endure and prosper and feed so much of the world. In that same regard, key crops and farm animals would somehow need to be represented. </div> <div> </div> <div>America has rarely been so bitterly divided politically, with the presidential  and Supreme Court nomination processes exacerbating differences. And, yet, in the midst of this acerbic division, Norman Borlaug and his legacy of combatting hunger offer a rare opportunity to bring politicians, educators, business executives, NGO leaders and farm, agriculture and commodity group representatives together around a common objective--the creation of a monument to that one great American achievement that is not yet honored on our most important national place of recognition. </div> <div> </div> <div>Given Speaker Ryan's own rural Wisconsin background and his great personal respect for Dr. Borlaug, ( he and his wife were there when Borlaug's statue was unveiled), my hope is that the Speaker might indeed see that March 25 is indeed the moment to begin this process. </div> </div> The World Food Prize Foundation 2003 World Food Prize Laureate: Catherine Bertini Honored http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38603/2003_world_food_prize_laureate_catherine_bertini_honored Wed, 23 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38603/2003_world_food_prize_laureate_catherine_bertini_honored The World Food Prize extends its warmest congratulations to 2003 Laureate Catherine Bertini for the special recognition she received as the longest serving member of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD ), which is appointed by the president and advises USAID on its programs and policies in addressing global food security. World Food Prize president Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn stated "Catherine Bertini has had a truly distinguished career, including as the Head of the World Food Programme, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and Assistant Secretary of Agriculture at USDA. In those positions and others, she has been a pioneer in emphasizing the critical importance of the role of women in enhancing development and nutrition. As such she is truly deserving of this recognition. More information about 2003 Laureate Catherine Bertini can be found <a href="/en/laureates/20002009_laureates/2003_bertini/">here</a>.  The World Food Prize Foundation Honoring Dr. Borlaug's Birthday - Believe It Or Not, Batman vs. Superman Isn't Just Fantasy http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38572/honoring_dr_borlaugs_birthday__believe_it_or_not_batman_vs_superman_isnt_just_fantasy Fri, 18 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38572/honoring_dr_borlaugs_birthday__believe_it_or_not_batman_vs_superman_isnt_just_fantasy Believe It Or Not, Batman vs. Superman Isn't Just Fantasy By: Robb Fraley 2013 World Food Prize Laureate and Chief Technology Officer at Monsanto When the movie “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” opens in theaters across the United States March 25, many viewers will think they’re watching pure fantasy. I will not be one of them. It’s not that I actually expect to see the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader duking it out in Gotham City any time soon; this is unlikely, in my scientific judgment. It’s because, from what’s already been disclosed about the plot, I believe the movie can be viewed as a parable. And I’m tempted all the more to frame it that way because of a coincidence of timing: March 25 is also the 102nd anniversary birthday of one of the greatestreal heroes of the 20th century – my friend and mentor Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution and one of only seven people ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Let me explain. According to <a href="http://www.comingsoon.net/movie/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-2016#/slide/1" target="_blank">the advance notices</a>, the new movie begins with Batman and Superman locked in conflict “while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs.” I’m sure we’re treated to a few scenes that will radiate delight across the young synapses of the target demographic everywhere. Then, however, a new threat arrives, “putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.” And Holy Synergism, the two superheroes team up to save the world. All of which – and here’s my point – makes for a good parallel to what is actually happening in today’s world of agriculture. On which, it just so happens, the future of human life on Earth depends. The background to this dramatic statement can easily be explained. Agriculture is currently as divided as the rival camps of the two superheroes appear to be at the start of the movie. In one group are organic farmers and their supporters (“organics”), who reject the use of genetically modified (GMO) seeds, as well as most synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, in favor of manure and pesticides derived from natural sources such as copper sulfate and boric acid. In the other group are conventional farmers, many of whom embrace GMOs and use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, like Roundup®, to improve their yields. As those who follow these matters know, the passions between the camps can run high, even toxic at times. “Organics” often see supporters of conventional farming as engaged in nothing less than the destruction of the food supply and the environment. Backers of conventional farming accuse organics of spreading groundless fears about them, and of pursuing romantic delusions that will bring them a sense of moral superiority, but leave the world’s underfed millions still hungry.  So the two sides have been and are at a standoff. But consider, for a moment, the context. In the next 35 years or so, the demand for food around the world is expected to rise <a href="http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/35571/icode/" target="_blank">at least 70 percent as global population increases 30 percent</a> as more people gain the affluence needed to eat more and better food. Over the same period, extreme weather – droughts, floods, and withering heat waves – are expected to become the new normal. Meanwhile, unless farming methods are changed significantly, <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/one-third-of-our-greenhouse-gas-emissions-come-from-agriculture-1.11708" target="_blank">agriculture itself will contribute to the further deterioration of the climate and the overall environment</a> – making farming less and less productive. So as others have said before me, we don’t face one challenge in feeding and clothing ourselves over the next few decades. We face at least three: improving harvests; doing it in the face of a more difficult climate; and doing it whilereducing agriculture’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, fresh water depletion, and all the other environmental externalities for which this activity is responsible. This multi-faceted challenge is huge – perhaps the biggest of the 21st century. And although I won’t know the exact reason that Batman and Superman joined forces in the defense of humanity until I see the movie, I do know this: This realchallenge ought to have the same effect. It should bring together everyone – supporters of organic agriculture, of conventional agriculture, and every other kind – in a common effort to provide global food security, in a sustainable way. In other words – and here’s where Norman Borlaug comes in – we need a second Green Revolution. Dr. Borlaug’s pioneering work gave us <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug" target="_blank">new wheat strains that doubled yields</a>, averting famines in India and Pakistan that could have saved as many as one billion lives. But the Green Revolution he fathered relied on some techniques we now realize may have led to high greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts. So we need a second Green Revolution, one that not only increases yields again – and for more types of crops – but does so sustainably. We need what’s sometimes called “sustainable intensification” – the capacity to grow more with a reduced environmental footprint. Less land, less water, less fertilizer, less pesticides. Now here’s the irony: We already know how to do a lot of these things, and the techniques involve a combination of the methods and goals of the two rival camps. Cover crops and crop rotation, for example, have been promoted by organics for such benefits as improved soil quality and reduced use of herbicides, fertilizer and water. But they’re <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/business/cover-crops-a-farming-revolution-with-deep-roots-in-the-past.html" target="_blank">also increasingly being adopted by conventional farmers,</a> who recognize that in addition to all their benefits they also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, precision agriculture and GMO seeds are already showing how we can boost yields while reducing inputs, and rapid advances in both technologies promise more. Seeds that can tolerate drought, that need fewer chemicals of any kind (natural or synthetic) to grow and to fight bugs, that can produce higher yields and therefore require less land – all of these are <a href="https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2013/04/22/greener-than-green-biotech-and-the-future-of-agriculture/" target="_blank">already available</a> and stand only to get better and proliferate across all types of crops. In fact, we’ve already made so much progress that <a href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/03/oped-growing-food-in-a-changing-climate-carbon-neutral-crops/" target="_blank">it’s now possible to take aim at making the whole U.S. Corn Belt carbon-neutral</a>. Again, although it’s conventional farmers that have embraced these technologies in the past, the benefits they confer are consistent with the goals of the organics. So let’s all absorb the lesson of “Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice.” Let’s drop the pointless, empty fighting between the organic and conventional schools of agriculture. Instead, let’s celebrate the diversity of our food production systems. And let’s use the strength inherent in that diversity to meet our real challenges: addressing both the lifestyle aspirations and the need for food security of people in the United States and around the world. Together.  The World Food Prize Foundation The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates Welcomes Basketball Fans http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38538/the_world_food_prize_hall_of_laureates_welcomes_basketball_fans Tue, 15 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38538/the_world_food_prize_hall_of_laureates_welcomes_basketball_fans PRESS ADVISORY Press Contact: Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events <a href="tel:515.245.3735" target="_blank">515.245.3735</a> (direct), <a href="tel:563.271.2995" target="_blank">563.271.2995</a> (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org" target="_blank">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a> The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates Welcomes Basketball Fans Free tours on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 (March 15, 2016) The Hall of Laureates will be open to the public for the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 18 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 19 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Volunteer docents will be present to guide visitors through the building. ? Guests can visit the "40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World" international photography exhibit by Howard G. Buffett, and visitors of all ages will enjoy the interactive exhibits on food and agriculture on the garden level. There is no admission charge and it is a wonderful opportunity to experience this beautiful, historic downtown building during this great event - 100 Locust Street, Des Moines. ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE HALL OF LAUREATES     The World Food Prize was conceived by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. Since 1986, 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. The World Food Prize also annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium to bring the world's foremost experts together to discuss cutting-edge issues in food security, and multiple youth education programs to inspire the next generation to study and work in fields related to global agriculture. The Hall of Laureates, formerly the Des Moines Public Library, reopened in 2011 as the World Food Prize’s global headquarters. As a special tribute to Nobel Peace Prize winner and World Food Prize founder Dr. Norman Borlaug, and to provide an enduring foundation for all of the programs he created, the World Food Prize Foundation took on a $29.8 million capital project to restore the century-old Des Moines Public Library Building as the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. # # # # The World Food Prize Foundation Global Nomination Process for Agricultural Innovators Opens http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38869/global_nomination_process_for_agricultural_innovators_opens Tue, 15 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38869/global_nomination_process_for_agricultural_innovators_opens FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact:  Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events +1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or <a href="mailto:nbarreca@wordlfoodprize.org">nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org</a>   Global Nomination Process for Agricultural Innovators Opens Des Moines, Iowa (March 15, 2016) – The World Food Prize is now accepting nominations for its renowned award that recognizes the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Academic and research institutions, as well as government and non-governmental organizations are invited to submit applications online at <a href="/nominate">www.worldfoodprize.org/nominate</a>. The deadline for all nominations is May 1, 2016. Since its creation in 1986, the World Food Prize honored 41 individuals who have made vital contributions to the quality, quantity, or availability of food throughout the world. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, the first World Food Prize laureate and a Chair of the World Food Prize Selection Committee, said, “The World Food Prize, now regarded widely as the Nobel Prize in Food and Agriculture, recognizes the significant contributions of those who are working to transform Dr. Norman E. Borlaug’s vision of a hunger-free world into reality.” More information about the laureate nomination process and the World Food Prize is available at <a href="/nominate">www.worldfoodprize.org/nominate</a>. Inquiries and additional nomination materials may be directed to Judith Pim, Director of Secretariat Operations at The World Food Prize, by email at <a href="mailto:jpim@worldfoodprize.org">jpim@worldfoodprize.org</a>. 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 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. Thirty-nine 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 annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and a variety of youth education programs to help further the discussion on cutting-edge hunger and food security issues and inspire the next generation to end hunger.   ### The World Food Prize Foundation World Food Prize Laureate Joins Faculty at University of Florida http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38315/world_food_prize_laureate_joins_faculty_at_university_of_florida Mon, 22 Feb 2016 06:00:00 +0000 News and Press Release http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667-1/38315/world_food_prize_laureate_joins_faculty_at_university_of_florida NEWS RELEASE Date: February 22, 2016 By: Beverly James, 352-273-3566, <a href="mailto:beverlymjames@ufl.edu">beverlymjames@ufl.edu</a> Source: Jack Payne, 352-392-1971, <a href="mailto:returner@ufl.edu">jackpayne@ufl.edu</a> Renowned scientists join the UF/IFAS Institute of Sustainable Food Systems GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Two acclaimed faculty, internationally recognized for their work in tropical agriculture, have joined the faculty at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Pedro Sanchez has been named a professor in the department of soil and water sciences, while Cheryl Palm will be a professor in the department of agricultural and biological engineering. Both will work with the UF/IFAS Institute of Sustainable Food Systems. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Sanchez and Dr. Palm to UF/IFAS because of the great work we are already doing in tropical agriculture, and Drs. Sanchez and Palm will help grow our programs,” said Jack Payne, senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at UF. “Both scientists bring a wealth of knowledge and passion for agriculture and its impact on the world. They will complement the work we do at UF/IFAS to improve our local and global communities, and will help position UF as a global leader in tropical agriculture.” Sanchez and Palm both work at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, which brings together the people and tools needed to address some of the world's most difficult problems, from climate change and environmental degradation, to poverty, disease and the sustainable use of resources. Sanchez is a 2002 World Food Prize recipient, 2004 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Most recently, Sanchez was Columbia University’s director of Tropical Agriculture and the Rural Environment Program and of the Millennium Villages Project, and was a senior research scholar at the Earth Institute. He served as co-chair of the Hunger Task Force of the Millennium Project, an advisory body to the United Nations.  He has served as Director General of the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya from 1991-2001. He is also professor emeritus of Soil Science and Forestry at North Carolina State University, and was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Sanchez is author of Properties and Management of Soils of the Tropics (rated among the top 10 best-selling books in soil science worldwide), and author of more than 200 scientific publications. He is currently writing the second edition of this book. Most recently, Palm was a senior research scientist and director of research in the AgCenter at Columbia University. A tropical ecologist and biogeochemist, Palm’s research focuses on land use change, degradation and rehabilitation, and ecosystem processes in tropical agricultural landscapes. Palm led a major effort quantifying carbon stocks, losses and net greenhouse gas emissions following slash and burn and alternative land use systems in the humid tropics in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, Indonesia and the Congo Basin. She has spent much of the past 15 years investigating soil nutrient dynamics in farming systems of Africa, including options for soil and land rehabilitation. She is deputy director of Vital Signs Africa, a new project developing and implementing integrated monitoring systems in agricultural landscapes. Palm received her Ph.D. in soil science from North Carolina State University after completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in zoology at the University of California, Davis. She a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomists and served as chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) from 2008 to 2011. -###-   The World Food Prize Foundation