2023 Borlaug Field Award Ceremony
Swati Nayak
Swati Nayak, Scientist and South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), received the 2023 Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation. She is recognized for her innovative approach to engaging smallholder farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems, from testing and deployment to equitable access and adoption of climate-resilient and nutritious rice varieties.
From the beginning of her career, Nayak has dedicated herself to closing the gap between scientific knowledge and its practical applications for farmers. Upon graduating in 2010 with her Masters from the Institute of Rural Management Anand, she started working as the only woman administrator at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency in the remote forest region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Though she could have chosen an easier path, she was determined to work hands-on in the field, immersed in farming communities.