World Food Prize Foundation
2023 Borlaug Dialogue
October 24-26, 2023| Des Moines, Iowa
Harnessing Change
The Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, also known as the “Borlaug Dialogue,” gathered individuals from more than 65 countries to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition. Global leaders, experts, educators, students, and more participated in the 2023 Borlaug Dialogue to discuss transformative solutions to achieve a sustainable, equitable, and nourishing food system.
The 2023 Borlaug Dialogue offered in-person and virtual programming, providing unparalleled opportunities for engagement and networking while also ensuring global access to these critical discussions.
The 2023 Borlaug Dialogue theme, “Harnessing Change” was a deliberate progression of the 2022 theme, Feeding a Fragile World. After focusing on the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict in 2022, we focused this year on harnessing innovation, adaptation, and diversification to improve systemic resilience, recover from shocks, and sustainably nourish all people.
As Dr. Norman Borlaug said frequently, pessimism has no place in action. We honor, celebrate, and aim to inspire those who harness change and ultimately shape the future of food and agriculture. Building on Borlaug’s legacy of tackling immense global challenges, the 2023 Borlaug Dialogue both acknowledged how far we have came and made positive strides toward a food-secure future..
Transcripts by Agenda
6:00 AM – 7:30 AM Virtual Side Event | Millets for Food and Nutrition Security: Celebrating International Year of Millets
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India. Registration via Zoom Required.
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Virtual Side Event | Multi-stakeholder action for scaling soil health globally for food security now and in the future
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH). Registration via Zoom Required.
12:00 PM – 1:15 PM Virtual Side Event | Innovation under a changing climate: Integrative approaches for a more regenerative agriculture
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event Hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Registration via Zoom Required.
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM Virtual Side Event | Food Security in Post-Conflict Zones: Exploring Efforts to Rebuild Communities and Agricultural Production After a Major Conflict
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by the U.S. Department of State.
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Virtual Side Event | Climate Action for Resilient Food System Transformation – Policy and Institutional Insights from Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC (IFPRI). Registration via Zoom Required.
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Virtual Side Event | Food Security in Post-Conflict Zones: Exploring Efforts to Rebuild Communities and Agricultural Production After a Major Conflict (2)
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by the U.S. Department of State
1:00 AM – 2:30 AM Virtual Side Event | Harnessing science innovations for a sustainable, equitable, and nourishing food system
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Australia. Registration via Zoom Required.
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Virtual Side Event | Utilizing Adaptive Management to Harness Change: Lessons from the Feed the Future DRC Fall Armyworm Activity
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Land O’ Lakes Venture37. Registration via Zoom Required.
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Virtual Side Event | AgriGRADE: the solution for professionalizing agricultural cooperatives, at scale
Virtual Event
Virtual
Side Event hosted by SCOPEinsight, secretariat of AgriGRADE.
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Virtual Laureate Lounge
Virtual – ZOOM
VirtualIn the Laureate Lounge, connect with World Food Prize Laureates in a one-on-one or small group networking session. Pre-registration encouraged.
Robert Mwanga
2016 World Food Prize Laureate
Modadugu Gupta
2005 World Food Prize Laureate
Jan Low
2016 World Food Prize Laureate at International Potato Center (CIP)
Rattan Lal
2020 World Food Prize Laureate at The Ohio State University
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Virtual Side Event | Unveiling the Future: Harnessing Policy Innovations for Food System Transformation
Virtual Event
Side Event hosted by the Food System Economics Commission and Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Registration Required.
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Lecture | “Sustainable Livestock Farming: Confronting the AMR-Climate Change Nexus for the Future of Agriculture”
Iowa Hall, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Virtual
Dr. Salma Sultana, 2020 Borlaug Field Award recipient, will present a guest lecture at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA, and virtually.
Salma Sultana
Founder at Model Livestock Advancement Foundation
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Laureate Lecture | Removing Landmines, Supporting Farmers: Cultivating Peace Through Agriculture
Great Hall, Memorial Union, Iowa State University, Ames, IA – In-person only, transportation available
Virtual
Heidi Kühn, 2023 World Food Prize Laureate, and Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen will discuss the Laureate’s work with Roots of Peace
Heidi Kühn
Founder and CEO at Roots of Peace
Wendy Wintersteen
President at Iowa State University
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM Laureate Breakfast | Oct. 24 | Theme: Let’s Eat What They Had
Pre-Function Space, 4th Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Breakout Session | Using Virtual Reality for Product Stewardship Training
309 – 310, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Research Spotlight: Graduate Student Research Presentation Competition
312 – 313, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
10:45 AM – 11:45 PM Breakout Session | The Remarkable Transformation of Food Systems in Telangana, India
319 – 320, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Breakout Session hosted by the Telangana State, India.
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Lunch | Oct. 24 | Theme: The Social Determinants of Food
Pre-Function Space, 4th Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM Welcome Remarks
4th Floor Ballroom, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Terry E. Branstad
President at World Food Prize Foundation
Mashal Husain
Chief Operating Officer at World Food Prize Foundation
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM Opening Keynote Remarks
Virtual
Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Agriculture at U.S. Department of Agriculture
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM Keynote from the Director-General of the FAO | Transforming Global Agrifood Systems for Good Food for Today and Tomorrow
Virtual
QU Dongyu
Director-General at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2:00 PM – 2:40 PM Making Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens
Virtual
Dr. Rajiv Shah
President at The Rockefeller Foundation
Catherine Bertini
World Food Prize Laureate & Chair, Executive Board at Global Crop Diversity Trust
2:40 PM – 3:00 PM Borlaug Field Award Presentation
4th Floor Ballroom, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Dr. Rajiv Shah
President at The Rockefeller Foundation
Swati Nayak
Scientist & South Asia Lead at International Rice Research Institute
Ronnie Coffman
Vice-Chair at Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, Cornell University
3:00 PM – 3:40 PM MasAgro: Taking it to the Farmer
Virtual
Bram Govaerts
Director General at CIMMYT
Stephanie Angomwile
Farmer from Zambia and Chief Executive Officer at Afriseed
Guillermo Bretón
Farmer from México at Global Farmer Network
María Beatriz (Pilu) Giraudo
Farmer from Argentina at Argentine Association of Producers in Direct Sowing
Lindiwe Majele Sibanda
CGIAR System Board Chair at CGIAR
3:40 PM – 4:20 PM Nourishing Ourselves and the Planet
Virtual
Lawrence Haddad
Executive Director at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
Gerardine Mukeshimana
Vice President at International Fund for Agricultural Development
Soumya Swaminathan
Previous Chief Scientist at World Health Organization
Krysta Harden
President and CEO at U.S. Dairy Export Council
Jim Sutter
4:20 PM – 4:30 PM Keynote Address
Virtual
H.E. Kashim Shettima
Vice President at Federal Republic of Nigeria
4:30 PM – 5:10 PM Farmers at the Forefront: Delivering Global Climate, Adaptation and Food System Solutions
Virtual
Julie Borlaug
President at Borlaug Foundation
Marcus Holtkoetter
Farmer at Global Farmer Network
Timothy Rhodd
Chairman at Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
Bharat Taware
Farmer from India | Managing Director at Sohan Industries Private Limited
Paulina Peter Ngurumwa
Unit Coordinator: Gender, Women and Children’s Affair at KINNAPA Development Programme
5:10 PM – 5:20 PM The Impact of Conflict on Food Security and the Role of Technology and Data in Addressing These Conflicts
Virtual
Rotimi Williams
Farmer at Global Farmer Network
5:20 PM – 6:00 PM Healing After Conflict: Farmer Leaders’ Essential Role in Recovering from War and Destruction
Virtual
Julie Borlaug
President at Borlaug Foundation
Jose Gonzalez Chacon
Farmer at Global Farmer Network
Kornelis “Kees” Huizinga
Farmer at Global Farmer Network
Patience Koku
Farmer at Global Farmer Network
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Side Event | Building Nutrition Resilient Communities, Harnessing change through the local community and market system
315, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Hunger Project, iDE, and CARE.
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Side Event | Agile data systems for food security monitoring, resilience insights, forecasting, and collaborative response
306, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Catholic Relief Services.
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Side Event | Global Food Security is National Security: How Hunger and Malnutrition Abroad Make the U.S. Less Safe
305, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Farm Journal Foundation.
6:45 AM – 8:45 AM Side Event | New Financing Mechanism for Agricultural Research & Development
306, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Grow Further.
7:00 AM – 8:45 AM Side Event | 2023 Borlaug CAST Communication Award Presentation
307 – 308, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). Registration Required.
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast | Oct. 25 | Theme: Encouraging Innovation Everywhere
4th Floor Pre-Function Space
Virtual
7:45 AM – 8:45 AM Side Event | The End of Bananas? A Global Alliance Against TR4
305, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
7:45 AM – 8:45 AM Side Event | Progress and Impact in Delivering Agricultural Innovation
315, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by 2Blades and Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation.
7:45 AM – 8:45 AM Side Event | Harnessing Innovation to Rapidly Respond to Crises
Virtual
Side event hosted by CIMMYT and USAID.
9:00 AM – 9:40 AM A Vision for Harnessing Change
Virtual
Cary Fowler
U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security at U.S. Department of State
Lindiwe Majele Sibanda
CGIAR System Board Chair at CGIAR
Gerardine Mukeshimana
Vice President at International Fund for Agricultural Development
Cynthia Rosenzweig
Senior Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
9:40 AM – 10:35 AM From Landmines to Grapevines: The Inspiration of Princess Diana
Virtual
Ambassador Kenneth Quinn
President Emeritus at World Food Prize Foundation
Heidi Kühn
Founder and CEO at Roots of Peace
Daniel Yuval
Ambassador at Roots of Peace
Cheryl Jennings
Journalist at Cheryl Jennings Consulting/ CherylCamMedia
10:35 AM – 11:15 AM Building Global Resilience
Virtual
Mark Spencer
Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at Government of the United Kingdom
Shaikh Abdulla Rashed Al Khalifa
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States at Embassy Of The Kingdom Of Bahrain
Ramin Toloui
Assistant Secretary Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at U.S. Department of State
Anne Beathe Tvinnereim
Minister of International Development at Norway
11:25 AM – 12:25 PM Breakout Session | Regenerative Organic Agriculture: Economic, Environmental, Scientific and Human Impacts
319-320, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Breakout Session hosted by Grgich Hills Estate and Roots of Peace.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch | Oct. 25 | Theme: Embracing Diversity and Building Resiliency
4th Floor Ballroom
Virtual
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Sustainable Solutions for Every Life, Every Day to Harness Change
Virtual
Chavonda Jacobs-Young
Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chief Scientist at U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rebecca Middleton
Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer at World Food Program USA
Meagan Kaiser
Board Chair at United Soybean Board
Linda Funk
Executive Director at Soyfoods Council
Sergio Rodriguez Royo
President at Zamorano University
David Samveasna
CAST Technical Specialist at American Soybean Association
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM EDF Session | Forgotten Foods and Future Feasts: Sustaining Our World Through Diverse Food Systems
307 – 308, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Stakeholder Event hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund.
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM BioConnect Iowa Session | Power and Promise of Science- and Technology-Driven Innovation Helping Global Food Security and Sustainable Food Systems
317 – 318, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Stakeholder Event hosted by BioConnect Iowa.
3:00 PM – 3:20 PM C-Suite Connect Series | Chuck Magro
Virtual
Julie Kenney
5th Generation Farmer and Former Deputy Secretary at Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Chuck Magro
Chief Executive Officer at Corteva Agriscience
3:20 PM – 4:00 PM Food and Fuel: Where Agriculture, Energy, and Food Security Intersect
Virtual
Billi Hunt
Executive Director at America’s Cultivation Corridor
Kevin Lucke
President at Chevron Renewable Energy Group
Jennifer Ozimkiewicz
Senior Vice President Global Corn and Soybean Crop Strategy Head at Bayer Crop Science
Greg Jaffe
Senior Advisor | Office of the Secretary at USDA
Stephen Kaffka
California Biomass Collaborative and Extension Agronomist at University of California Davis
Mac Marshall
VP Market Intelligence at United Soybean Board
4:00 PM – 4:20 PM C-Suite Connect Series | Dr. Jacqueline Applegate
Virtual
Jacqueline Applegate
President at Bayer Crop Science North America, Bayer AG
4:20 PM – 5:00 PM Innovation as a Changemaker
Virtual
Jim Schweigert
President at Gro Alliance
Paul Schickler
Chairman at Council of Advisors, World Food Prize Foundation
Cristina Rohr
Managing Director at S2G Ventures
Kay Kuenker
CEO at Advanced Agrilytics, LLC
Joel Harris
Co-founder and the CEO at Ag Startup Engine
5:00 PM – 5:50 PM From Landmines to Farmlands: MAG Female Deminers Clear the Pathway for Roots of Peace to Restore Livelihoods
Virtual
Gary Kühn
President at Noble House Spice
Heidi Kühn
Founder and CEO at Roots of Peace
Rachel Schiller
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations at Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Jamie Franklin
Executive Director at Mines Advisory Group (MAG) America
Thi Mai Chi Hoang
Community Liaison Manager at MAG (Mines Advisory Group) Vietnam
Thi Ly Van Tran
Team Leader of Mine Action Team at MAG (Mines Advisory Group) Vietnam
Thi Kieu Dinh
Deminer of Mine Action Team at MAG (Mines Advisory Group) Vietnam
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Side Event | Iowa India Summit
306, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Sehgal Foundation.
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Side Event | Harnessing Change for Agricultural Transformation
305, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Millennium Challenge Corporation.
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Side Event | Sustainable Livestock Production for Global Food Security
307 – 308, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Pre-registration Required.
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Side Event | Regenerating Hope: The promise of soil restoration at scale in Central America and Africa
315, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Catholic Relief Services.
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Side Event | Purdue Alumni and Friends Reception
314, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Purdue Agriculture.
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Side Event | African Agricultural Dialogue
317 – 318, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Discussion on Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, job & wealth creation, and regulatory frameworks. Hosts: African Development Bank/AgroNigeria
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Side Event | Harnessing 1890 Land-Grant Universities Capacity to Deliver Food Security Solutions & the Workforce of the Future
306, 3rd Floor, Iowa Event Center.
Virtual
Side Event hosted by the 1890 Universities Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense (CEGFSD).
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM Side Event | Youth Entrepreneurship for a Food-Secure World
305, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Michigan State University, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast | Oct. 26 | Theme: Eating in the Future
4th Floor Pre-Function Space
Virtual
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Side Event | Borlaug-Swaminathan Dialogue – Change toward Hope and Peace through Food Diplomacy led by Democracies
307 – 308, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Iowans Supporting Israel.
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Side Event | Global Resilience and the Farm Bill: Helping Communities Thrive
316, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Side Event hosted by Save the Children.
9:00 AM – 9:20 AM Opening Keynote | H.E. Dr. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu
Virtual
Main Stage Session
Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu
President at Kosovo
9:20 AM – 9:40 AM John Ruan III Keynote Address with Suzanne Clark
Virtual
Main Stage Session
Rachel Ruan McLean
Vice President of Communications at Ruan Transport Corporation
Suzanne Clark
President and Chief Executive Officer at U.S. Chamber of Commerce
9:40 AM – 10:10 AM C-Suite Connect Series
Virtual
Main Stage Session
Bob Haney
CEO at AgriSompo
Vincent Martin
Director at Office of Innovation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
10:10 AM – 11:40 AM World Food Prize Africa Agriculture Dialogue
Virtual
Main Stage Session
A discussion between African leaders on how their countries can achieve food security, and the implications for US and international investment.
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Breakout Session | Food System Repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine War
309-310, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Breakout Session hosted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (IFPRI/CGIAR).
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Breakout Session | AVAIL: A Virtual Innovation Lab for Building Farmer-Based Solutions for Regenerative Agriculture
317-318, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Breakout Session hosted by AgMIP to showcase how farmers can harness science to address change and to develop real world farm management solutions.
12:15 PM – 1:15 PMBreakout Session | Bringing Space to Place: Transforming African Agriculture with Better SOILS
319-320, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Virtual
Breakout Session hosted by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC).
1:00 PM – 2:10 PM Lunch Theme: Securing Lasting Peace through Food
Virtual
A plated lunch will be served in the 4th Floor Ballroom.
1:10 PM – 1:20 PM David Lambert ‘Hunger Fighter’ Memorial Scholarship and Graduate Student Award Announcements
Virtual
Elsa Murano
Professor and President Emerita at Texas A&M University
Manjit Misra
Director at USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
1:20 PM – 1:35 PM C-Suite Connect Series | Joshua Jepsen
Virtual
Joshua Jepsen
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Deere & Company
1:35 PM – 2:15 PM Empowering Marginalized Voices: Fostering Resilient and Gender-Inclusive Agrifood Systems
Virtual
Chavonda Jacobs-Young
Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chief Scientist at U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dina Esposito
Assistant to the Administrator Bureau for Resilience and Food Security at USAID
Vincent Martin
Director at Office of Innovation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Swati Nayak
Scientist & South Asia Lead at International Rice Research Institute
2:40 PM – 3:40 PM CGIAR Session | Maximizing Latin America and the Caribbean´s Contributions to Global Agriculture and Biodiversity Solutions.
Virtual
307 – 308, 3rd Floor, Iowa Event Center.
2:40 PM – 3:40 PM USAID Session | The Power of Public-Private Partnerships: Lessons Learned for Future Success
Virtual
317 – 318, 3rd Floor, Iowa Events Center
Hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
3:50 PM – 4:30 PM Without Water, There is No Food Security
Virtual
Main Stage Session
Alvaro Lario
President at International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Fernando Schwanke
Director of Projects at Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Zulfikar Mustapha
Minister of Agriculture at Government of Guyana
Christopher Neale
Director of Research at Daugherty Water for Food Institute, University of Nebraska
Margaret Zeigler
IICA Representative in the United States at Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Manuel Otero
Director General at Inter-American Institute for Cooperation
4:30 PM – 4:45 PM Innovation for a Food Secure Future
Virtual
Main Stage Session
Ramin Toloui
Assistant Secretary Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at U.S. Department of State
4:45 PM – 4:50 PM Closing Remarks
Virtual
Main Stage Session
Paul Schickler
Chairman at Council of Advisors, World Food Prize Foundation