The President's Blog

Becoming President of the World Food Prize Foundation was a dream come true for me, a chance to advance the legacy of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, inspiring critical action to end hunger around the globe. While 2020 brought many unanticipated challenges for us all, we at the Foundation also learned more about our own resilience and dedication than I could have ever dreamed. We conducted our first-ever virtual Digital Dialogues, virtual award ceremonies for both the 2020 Laureate and Borlaug Field Award recipients and brought together over 10,000 students virtually in youth institutes throughout the Spring. We developed innovative online programming and networking opportunities through the Global Youth Institute and the International Borlaug Dialogue. 2021 offers everyone the opportunity to build on 2020 successes and learnings, and continue to innovate.

On February 23, 2021, an Open Letter was jointly penned by 24 World Food Prize Laureates calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to make alleviating hunger, poverty, and malnutrition around the globe a top priority for the United States. The World Food Prize Laureates Open Letter: U.S. Leadership Needed to Help End World Hunger highlights four areas where U.S. action is needed:

1. Re-establish American global leadership to end hunger,

2. Play a leadership role in the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit and other global initiatives,

3. Refresh U.S. evidence-based policy and investment to achieve the goal of ending hunger, and 

4. Expand the highly successful USAID Feed the Future Initiative and Innovation Labs to reach more countries.

As the Laureates spoke out, our partners worldwide posted and reflected on the importance of leveraging funding, alliance and leadership to transform food systems. Over 250 media outlets in the US and around the world carried the message, including the Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, and ABC News - READ HERE. Now, we continue to amplify this message for International Women’s Day and through our first Digital Dialogue of the year. Join the conversation on social media with #WFPLaureates4Action. 

DIGITAL DIALOGUE | MARCH 25, 2021 | 8 a.m. CDT

Importantly, we will feature discussion among several Laureates on March 25, 2021. Join us for this year’s first Digital Dialogue regarding the Open Letter and the many needed actions to create even more momentum together. Register now! 

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

On this, International Women's Day, we begin a special blog series featuring key women in leadership, research and science roles in the food and agriculture system. They will be addressing the integral role women will play in transforming food systems and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Over the next couple of weeks, we look forward to elevating women who work hard every day to transform food systems. Follow the conversations at www.WorldFoodPrize.org/BorlaugBlog!