2022 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue
Main stage in-person and hybrid events | October 18 - 20, 2022
Virtual events only | October 12 - 14
In-person, virtual, and hybrid side events | October 17 - 21
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Event FAQ | Communications Toolkit
Dialogue Theme
This year’s theme, “Feeding a Fragile World,” focuses on overcoming pervasive shocks to the global food system. The triple threat of COVID, Conflict, and Climate demands addressing the multiple challenges the global food system faces now and in the future. The event will address scalable solutions for adaptation and mitigation to limit planetary warming below 1.5° C and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
This theme is an acknowledgement of profound vulnerability, but is also rooted in action and hope. That hope is captured in the call to action letter recently published by 26 World Food Prize Laureates and is evident in the work of our 2022 World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig.
Venue & Hotel
The Borlaug Dialogue will be hosted at the Iowa Events Center (IEC) and the Hilton Des Moines Downtown. We currently have a discounted room block available at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. Our room block at the Hilton Hotel Downtown is now all sold out.
Book at Hotel Fort Des Moines
Other Hotel Options
Participants & Program
Planned participants include policymakers and other government officials, representatives of the private sector, officials of international organizations, academics, farmers, scientists, students and educators. Numerous plenaries, breakout sessions, side events, exhibitions, networking opportunities and receptions will allow all participants to collaborate on issues such as climate change and increased agricultural uncertainty, innovations in climate-smart agriculture and on how climate change could make food less nutritious. Participants will explore pathways in food systems to adapt to and mitigate the climate emergency.
Graduate Student Poster Session - Call for Abstracts
This first-ever graduate student poster session at this year’s Borlaug Dialogue will highlight current research efforts that address this year’s theme of “Feeding a Fragile World,” focusing on overcoming pervasive shocks to the global food system. The Dialogue provides increased international visibility for the participant's work and applications may come from any country.
The deadline to submit abstracts is September 19 at 11:59 p.m. GMT, and the poster session will occur during the Dialogue on October 19. Applicants must be able to travel to Des Moines.
Featured Special Event: The Radicle Inclusion Challenge Presented by Nutrien
Radicle Growth, a company-building platform for early-stage ag and food technologies, partnered with Nutrien, the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services, to launch the “The Radicle Inclusion Challenge Presented by Nutrien”. The Challenge was designed to reach the most innovative AgTech entrepreneurs around the globe.
For this Challenge we looked for Food and AgTech entrepreneurs who:
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identify as female and/or BIPOC, or…
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were from groups that have historically been underrepresented in agriculture, or…
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were committed to diversity & inclusion while advancing a sustainable food value chain
Finalists will present their ideas and business goals to a panel of industry experts on Pitch Day during the World Food Prize Foundation’s Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa on October 18, 2022. Two winners will be awarded a US$250,000 investment each, and access to Radicle’s company-building platform that will be used to accelerate their growth.
Register for the Radicle Inclusion Challenge
2022 BD | Roundtable Themes
The Foundation brings together thought leaders from across the world to address the pressing challenges to be overcome to achieve food security for all. Borlaug Dialogue roundtables offer individuals an opportunity to move debates and dialogues to the next level. Each of the roundtables will be directly relevant to the 2022 Borlaug Dialogue theme and the outcomes of these roundtables will help to shape actions at future fora, like COP27 in Egypt.
The Triple C’s (COVID, Conflict, Climate) and More: Shocks, Recovery, Regeneration, and Rejuvenation
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The concurring threats of COVID, conflict, and climate change have caused short- and long-term global shocks. These shocks have upended food and nutrition security and adversely impacted our most vulnerable. Recovery and regeneration from these shocks are imperative next steps. This session will aim to take what we have learned from the era of the Three C’s and use it to build a more robust food system.
Financing and Investments for Climate Action and Food System Transformation
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Funding and investment in robust, climate-resilient food systems will unlock our ability to both adapt to and mitigate climate change. Transformation must occur across all sectors to be successful, meaning financial and investment systems must morph to meet these challenges. This session will highlight new financial mechanisms and investment strategies for gender-smart food systems and investments in the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Zeroing in on Health and Nutrition in the Climate Era
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Ensuring nutritious food of all forms is available, accessible and affordable for all is vital to human health. Less nutrient-dense crops, zoonotic disease and growing nutrition insecurity threaten this global priority. To respond to these concerns, this session will focus on health and nutrition in the climate era.
Pathways for a Just Transition: The Road to 1.5 degrees C in the Context of Zero Hunger by 2030
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Pathways to achieve zero hunger and limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius must be both achievable and just. For a solution to be just, it must thoroughly address the needs of the most vulnerable in food and agriculture systems. Looking towards COP 27 and beyond, these vulnerable groups and the need for just transitions can and should be at the forefront of the upcoming climate talks and other multilateral fora.
Side Events
Side events are an integral part of the overall Borlaug Dialogue program. These events give various organizations' the opportunity to plan and host their own gathering during the week of events. Side events are not exclusive to those registered for the Dialogue and therefore gives organizations the ability to attract an even wider array of participants. This year, the Foundation is offering both in-person and virtual side events. Like normal, there is a fee to host side events and there may be additional costs for technology and catering depending on the vision of the host organization.
THE NORMAN E. BORLAUG INTERNATIONAL Dialogue, known informally as the "Borlaug Dialogue," each year brings together individuals from more than 65 countries to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition. The gathering convenes a wide array of scientific experts, policy leaders, business executives and farmers and has been called "the premier conference in the world on global agriculture." Through the Borlaug Dialogue, the World Food Prize Foundation helps build alliances in the struggle against world hunger and malnutrition.
2021 Report
