The World Food Prize is celebrating 40 years of honoring the people who feed the world, and this milestone highlights its uniquely Iowa roots. Founded by Dr. Norman Borlaug, an Iowan whose innovations have saved more than a billion lives, the Prize is one-of-a-kind—just like Iowa itself, home to things the world cannot find anywhere else.
To mark this anniversary, the World Food Prize Foundation is asking supporters to donate $40 in honor of 40 years, joining a legacy of innovation, impact and hope. This campaign celebrates four decades of global leadership in food security while inviting everyone to be part of a uniquely Iowa story that continues to change the world.
Born Here. Rooted Here. Inspiring the World from Here
January: Dr. George Washington Carver | Ames, Iowa
The first video in the One-of-a-Kind campaign highlights the legacy of Dr. George Washington Carver and Iowa State University. Carver’s pioneering work in agricultural science and sustainability exemplifies the kind of Iowa-rooted, globally relevant impact the campaign celebrates.
February: The Ruan Family | Beacon, Iowa
For decades, the Ruan family has been a steadfast partner of the World Food Prize—helping elevate Iowa as the Hunger-Fighting Capital of the World and supporting changemakers saving lives across the globe.
March: Peggy Whitson, Beaconsfield, Iowa
From Peggy Whitson, record breaking astronaut from Beaconsfield, to the World Food Prize’s recognition of world-changing innovation from Des Moines—Iowa proves to be a place where history is made!