About the World Food Prize Youth Institute:

In conjunction with the Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium in October of each year, the World Food Prize Youth Institute provides a three-day all expenses-paid educational opportunity and forum for Iowa high school students. Our students interact with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates and are exposed to an array of experts, facilities and organizations relating to food security. The Youth Institute also provides young Iowans with opportunities to consider careers in food, agriculture and natural resource disciplines.

The Youth Institute experience offers challenge, opportunity and inspiration for Iowa high school students. They learn about the importance of food production and security to human life worldwide – and about the necessity of cooperation among nations to adequately feed our world. They participate with such luminaries as Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug and other World Food Prize Laureates for three days of dialogue, presentations and interaction. The World Food Prize Youth Institute is a also prerequisite for participation in the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship.

Each participating high school designates a student and faculty member to attend the Institute, which takes place in Des Moines during a three-day period that includes the Laureate Award Ceremony and International Symposium. Student and faculty teams prepare discussion papers, which are presented by the students during a day-long seminar before a panel of World Food Prize Council of Advisors and Laureates - individuals who are acknowledged leaders in a broad range of food and agricultural disciplines. Development of the papers can be a project of a single student, a group of students, or an entire class. Faculty members serve as advisors. The papers are published in the Youth Institute Proceedings. Discussion and interaction with fellow students and presentations by officials (such as Iowa Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson) enhance the overall experience.

The World Food Prize focuses attention on providing the world with a sustainable, secure food supply. A logical outgrowth of this objective, the Youth Institute was established in 1994 by two Iowans – businessman and philanthropist John Ruan, and Dr. Borlaug, the "Father of the Green Revolution." Both The Prize and the Institute are administered by The World Food Prize Foundation, also headquartered in Iowa. The primary goal of the Youth Institute is to increase student awareness of The World Food Prize mission among Iowa youth.

2008 Paper Topic & Guidelines

2007 Papers and Proceedings

Previous Paper Topics and Proceedings