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The event will explore the bold measures needed to accelerate agricultural innovation and achieve food and nutrition security for all.
WHAT: The World Food Prize Foundation will convene Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates in a first joint gathering together with academics, business leaders and policymakers to confront the looming challenge of feeding a global population of 9.7 billion by 2050 and the agricultural innovation needed over the next 25 years to steer clear of a hunger tipping point.
The theme of this year’s event, “A Root Awakening”, reflects the stark realization that the current trajectory of agricultural production is veering perilously away from meeting the food and nutrition needs of an expanding population. The event will explore the bold measures needed to accelerate agricultural innovation and achieve food and nutrition security for all.
WHEN: 08:00-15:00 ET, Tuesday, March 25, 2025
WHERE: U.S. Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C. Registration is open online.
WHO: The event will feature the following speakers:
• Hon. Chuck Grassley, United States Senator, Senate President Pro Tempore and Member, Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
• Hon. Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator and Ranking Member, Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
• Thomas J. Vilsack, CEO, World Food Prize Foundation, and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
• Cary Fowler, 2024 World Food Prize Laureate and former U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security
• Martin Chalfie, 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Gebisa Ejeta, 2009 World Food Prize Laureate, Chair, World Food Prize Laureate Selection Committee and Distinguished Professor of Agronomy, Purdue University
• Tawakkol Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize and Founder, Tawakkol Karman Foundation
• John C. Mather, 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics and Senior Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Sir Rich Roberts, 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and Chief Scientific Officer, New England Biolabs
• Cynthia Rosenzweig, 2022 World Food Prize Laureate and Senior Research Scientist and Head of Climate Impacts Group, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
• Sarah Dean, Global Public Policy Manager, John Deere
• Aditi Mukherji, 2012 Borlaug Field Award Recipient and Director, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Impact Action Platform, CGIAR
WHY: This year marks a pivotal moment for the World Food Prize Foundation and the global community. With the population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050—a mere 25 years from now—the challenge to feed the world is urgent and demands investment in cutting-edge agricultural research, scalable innovations and cross-sector collaboration.
More than 150 Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates recently raised the alarm that the world was “not even close” to meeting future food needs in an open letter. The signatories called for an urgent increase in agricultural research and development to close the gap and avert a hunger catastrophe.
DialogueNEXT is a part of an event series tracing Dr. Norman Borlaug's international footsteps and revisiting landmarks preserving his legacy. Through a powerful progression of collaborative conversations, participants create a meaningful dialogue that leads to critical next steps in alleviating hunger. These exchanges will set the stage for essential discussions at the annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue.