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MEDIA ADVISORY
Press Contact:
Megan Forgrave, Director of Communications
515.245.3794 (direct), 515.229.1705 (cell), or mforgrave@worldfoodprize.org
2011 World Food Prize Laureate Announcement Ceremony
June 10, 2011 -- The World Food Prize Foundation will announce the winner of the prestigious 2011 World Food Prize at the 25th Anniversary Laureate Announcement Ceremony at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 21, at 12 p.m. EST.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will give the keynote address, and other speakers include Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. In addition, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize, will announce the winner of this year’s prize and highlight the laureate’s achievements.
This event is open to the media. The U.S Department of State will also make it available via live webcast for the first time this year, at http://video.state.gov; video clips will be available after the event at www.thenewsmarket.com.
EVENT DETAILS:
When: 12 p.m. EST on Tuesday, June 21. Pre-set time for cameras is 11:00 a.m. Final access time for reporters and still photographers is 11:20 a.m.
Where: The Benjamin Franklin Room of the Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. Media should enter via the 23rd Street entrance.
Why: Hunger and food security are among the most pressing matters of our time. New estimates show the global population growing to 9 billion by 2050, and currently 1 in 8 people are hungry. The World Food Prize is the foremost award recognizing, -- without regard to race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs -- the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
Entry: 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).
Social Media: @WorldFoodPrize will tweet the event using #worldfoodprize and #hunger if you are interested in following or joining the conversation.
More information, including a biography of the 2011 World Food Prize laureate, will be available online after the announcement, at www.worldfoodprize.org/laureates.
RELATED EVENTS
Other events will occur in conjunction with the World Food Prize Laureate Announcement during the week of June 20, 2011, in Washington D.C.:
The AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture will take place on June 21 at 4 p.m. at the AAAS auditorium at 12th and H Streets, NW (use entrance on 12th and H Street). The speaker this year is Dr. Pamela C. Ronald, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis; and co-author of Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food .The World Food Prize Foundation is principal collaborator for the lecture. www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=AAAS11E&OID=110
The Wallace-Carver Internship, a partnership between the World Food Prize and U.S. Department of Agriculture aimed at developing the next generation of American agricultural leaders, will kick off with the first 15 students participating in an intensive leadership training program in Washington, D.C., where they will meet with key officials, tour research facilities and prepare for internships at USDA sites across the country. These 15 college students all previously completed international agricultural and development work through the World Food Prize Borlaug-Ruan International Internship program.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The World Food Prize will host the 25th Anniversary Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium, also known as the Borlaug Dialogue, and other related events, in October:
2011 Borlaug Dialogue: The Next Generation: Confronting the Hunger Challenges of Tomorrow, October 12-14, Des Moines, Iowa. Over 1,000 people from 65 countries will gather as international experts and policy leaders come together to address cutting-edge issues in food security and nutrition.
Grand Opening of the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates: October 12. As a special tribute to founder Dr. Norman Borlaug, and to provide an enduring foundation for all of the programs he created, the World Food Prize has embarked on a $29.8 million capital project to restore the century-old Des Moines Public Library Building as the World Food Prize Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates.
2011 Laureate Award Ceremony: October 13. Over 800 honored guests will gather as this year’s laureate is honored and awarded the World Food Prize under the dome of the magnificent Iowa State Capitol.
World Food Prize Global Youth Institute: October 15. Over 100 students from across the country will gather to present food security papers, work with experts and laureates, and participate in interactive activities and field visits.
5th Annual Iowa Hunger Summit: October 11. A one-day, grassroots event for Iowans working to alleviate hunger at home and abroad.
Other events will include the Laureate Lecture Series at colleges across Iowa, and additional public events.
ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE: The World Food 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 to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world. Laureates have been recognized from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the United States. The World Food Prize Foundation is based in Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States.
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