DialogueNEXT in Mexico

WORLD FOOD PRIZE

Seeds of Strength: Nurturing Farmer Resilience

DialogueNEXT in Mexico was held July 10-11, 2024 in Texcoco, Mexico.

In 2022, the global population reached 8 billion, and it is projected to exceed 10 billion by 2100. This surge presents a critical challenge: ensuring nutritious food security for all without degrading and depleting the world’s natural resources. With the demand for food set to increase by 70 to 100 percent by 2050, especially in developing countries, urgent support for farmers worldwide is critical. 

With the vision to improve agricultural resilience and food security worldwide, the World Food Prize Foundation and CIMMYT convened DialogueNEXT on July 10-11, 2024, at CIMMYT’s global headquarters in Texcoco, Mexico. On the occasion of World Population Day, the event addressed the critical challenge of ensuring nutritious food security for all in the face of a surging global population while also honoring Dr. Norman Borlaug, who played a critical role in the founding of both organizations. 

In 1944, Dr. Borlaug joined The Rockefeller Foundation’s pioneering technical assistance program in Mexico, leading wheat improvement research and elevating maize and wheat conservation efforts. His work revolutionized agriculture, introducing disease-resistant wheat varieties with high yields. Dr. Borlaug’s impact extended globally, saving countless lives and earning him recognition as the person who “saved more lives than any other person who ever lived.”

Now, 80 years later, we gathered for action-based discussions centered around the theme, Seeds of Strength: Nurturing Farmer Resilience. While welcoming more than 250 farmers, scientists, agribusiness leaders, policymakers and other food systems stakeholders from across the Americas and beyond, the forum invites participants to elevate and implement strategies for improving farmer livelihoods and feeding the world’s growing population.

This event is a part of the DialogueNEXT series tracing Dr. Borlaug’s international footsteps and revisiting landmarks preserving his legacy. In this journey, food security leaders draw inspiration from his experiences while navigating contemporary global challenges. The series propels meaningful DIALOGUE that leads us to critical NEXT steps in alleviating hunger and transforming food systems worldwide, setting the stage for pivotal conversations at the annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 29-31, 2024.