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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events
+1.515.245.3735 (direct), +1.563.271.2995 (cell), or nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org
3rd Annual Iowa Hunger Directory Release Announced by World Food Prize Foundation Vice President
Des Moines, Iowa (March 31, 2016) – In honor of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s 102nd birthday anniversary and International Women’s Day the World Food Prize announced the release of the 3rd Annual Iowa Hunger Directory on Tuesday evening at the Hall of Laureates. In conjunction with announcement, the Foundation hosted Women and Agriculture: Road to Global Security. Partnering with Oxfam America and Foods Resource Bank, the program featured local and international hunger fighters who are all listed in the Hunger Directory. Keynoting the event was Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Iowa’s first female U.S. senator and an agriculture advocate.
The Iowa Hunger Directory is an extension of the October Iowa Hunger Summit event, and is updated online year-round connecting Iowa hunger fighters and volunteers to organizations and events statewide. More than 500 Iowa organizations are listed in the Iowa Hunger Directory, and the website includes profiles of each organization, a map to locate organizations in your community, and a calendar of upcoming hunger fighting events and volunteer opportunities.
"Through the Iowa Hunger Directory website and newsletters, we facilitate networking and collaboration among the many Iowans whose daily efforts are moving us closer to realizing Dr. Norman Borlaug's dream of a hunger-free Iowa and food-secure world,” said Mashal Husain, vice president of the World Food Prize Foundation. All of Iowa’s living former governors and Governor Terry E. Branstad serve as honorary co-founders of the Iowa Hunger Summit and the Iowa Hunger Directory.
Also featured at the event was Olga Tumax, a Guatemalan farmer and community organizer who has taught women in remote villages how to prepare organic pesticides, build low-cost greenhouses and add nutritious options to their food supply. Tumax was joined by Hugo Garrido, from CIEDEG, a Guatemalan food-security organization supported by Foods Resource Bank and Church World Service. Garrido discussed his experiences with rural families in the region.
In addition to the presentations, the event featured nine local organizations that are dedicated to fighting hunger and featured in the 3rd edition of the Directory.
- Church World Service
- Des Moines Area Religious Council
- Drake University
- Foods Resource Bank
- Iowa International Center
- Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Oxfam AmericaSelf-Help International
- Women, Food and Agriculture Network
“There are quite a few directories in the state but the Iowa Hunger Directory is quite possibly the most comprehensive and up-to-date. I find it very useful,” said Cory Berkenes, executive director of the Iowa Food Bank Association.
All of the interactive online tools and an updated, printable version of the Iowa Hunger Directory will be available on April 7, 2016 at www.iowahungerdirectory.org.
To register your organization for the Iowa Hunger Directory, visit www.worldfoodprize.org/shareyourstory. You can also submit an event at www.worldfoodprize.org/shareyourevent.
Background:
Norman Borlaug, born in Iowa in 1914, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work developing more productive wheat varieties and staving off hunger in many parts of the world. The State of Iowa placed his statue in the U.S. Capitol one year ago today. Borlaug created the World Food Prize to recognize and inspire breakthrough achievements in feeding the world.
In 2007, Borlaug started the Iowa Hunger Summit, with four Iowa governors serving as honorary co-chairs, to celebrate Iowa’s great successes in fighting hunger and poverty at home and abroad, and to unite in further action against both. Every year, the Iowa Hunger Summit, a free, one-day event, is held in conjunction with the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue symposium and Laureate Award Ceremony.
Iowa Hunger Facts:
- 1 in 8 Iowans are food insecure.
- 1 in 5 Iowa children does not have enough to eat.
- 395,620 Iowans live at or below the poverty level.
ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE: The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The 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 41 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. The World Food Prize annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and a variety of youth education programs to help further the discussion on cutting-edge global food security issues and inspire the next generation to end hunger. Press credentials for covering the October World Food Prize Week of events can be requested at www.worldfoodprize.org/press.
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