World Food Prize
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use American English Template:Featured list Template:Infobox award
The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug and established in 1986 through the support of General Foods, the prize is envisioned and promoted as the Nobel or the highest honors in the field of food and agriculture.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name= Hesser2006>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp It is now administered by the World Food Prize Foundation with support from numerous sponsors.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Since 1987, the prize has been awarded annually to recognize contributions in any field involved in the world food supply, such as animal science, aquaculture, soil science, water conservation, nutrition, health, plant science, seed science, plant pathology, crop protection, food technology, food safety, policy, research, infrastructure, emergency relief, and poverty alleviation and hunger.<ref name=":nomcriteria">Template:Cite web</ref>
Laureates are honored and officially awarded their prize in Des Moines, Iowa, in an award ceremony held at Iowa State Capitol.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Laureates are presented with a diploma, a commemorative sculpture designed by Saul Bass and a monetary award of $500,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Foundation also has the aim of "inspiring exceptional achievement in assuring adequate food and nutrition for all".<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp A number of associated events and honors include the Borlaug International Symposium and the Norman Borlaug Field Award, the Iowa Hunger Summit and youth programs such as the Borlaug-Ruan International Internships.<ref name= Quinn109>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp
History
Norman Borlaug (1914–2009) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for contributions that resulted in the extensive increase in global food production.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Chairman of the Nobel Committee Aase Lionæs gave the rationale that the committee had linked providing much needed food to the world as a path for peace.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Further, the increase in food production has given policy planners across the world more years in figuring out how to feed the growing population.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Twelve years later, Borlaug approached the Nobel Foundation to include a prize for food and agriculture. However, the Foundation was bound by Alfred Nobel's will which did not allow for the creation of such a new prize.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Borlaug continued his search for a sponsor elsewhere.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp
In 1986, General Foods Corporation, under Vice President A. S. Clausi's leadership, agreed to establish the prize and be the founding sponsor.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The amount they agreed to, US$200,000, was equivalent to the value of the Nobel Prizes at the time.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1990, the sponsorship was undertaken by businessman and philanthropist John Ruan and his family who established the World Food Prize Foundation, backed by a US$10 million endowment. In 2000, Kenneth M. Quinn was made the president.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Borlaug, Ruan, and Quinn were all from the US state of Iowa.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Barbara Stinson succeeded Quinn as the second president in 2019.<ref name=":newPres">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The former downtown library in Des Moines, Iowa, was acquired, and the Ruan family gave US$5 million to renovate the building into the headquarters for the World Food Prize Foundation.Template:Sfnp<ref name="Ruan Family's Vision Realized with Hall of Laureates Opening">Template:Cite web</ref> A number of sponsors would go on to contribute over US$20 million in a campaign to transform the building into a public museum, the Hall of Laureates, to honor Borlaug and the work of the World Food Prize laureates.<ref name="WFP2008">Template:Cite web</ref> Other sponsors have included over 100 charitable foundations, corporations and individuals, who have helped sustain the prize and the Foundation's associated events.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="WFP2008" /> The Founder's Boardroom in the Hall of Laureates commemorates 27 individuals who played an important part in the foundation of the prize.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>
Borlaug was the first chairman of the World Food Prize laureate selection committee.<ref name= Quinn109 />Template:Rp He appointed the first laureate, M. S. Swaminathan, as his successor in 2009.<ref name= Quinn109 />Template:Rp Gebisa Ejeta, the 2009 laureate, is the current chairman.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Apart from the chairman who is a non-voting member, other members of the selection committee remain anonymous.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp
On January 24, 2023, the Foundation announced that former Iowa Governor and US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad would take over as president, replacing outgoing president Barbara Stinson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 1, 2025, Governor Branstad retired from his role as president. Former CEO Mashal Husain was named the new president, with former Iowa Governor and United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack taking over as CEO.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Laureates
World Food Prize laureates include the following:
-
1987 recipient M. S. Swaminathan
-
1992 recipient Edward F. Knipling
-
1993 recipient He Kang
-
1994 recipient Muhammad Yunus
-
2009 recipient Gebisa Ejeta
-
2016 recipient Maria Andrade
-
2017 recipient Akinwumi Adesina
-
2018 recipient David Nabarro
_aan_on,_Bestanddeelnr_933-7383_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
| Year | Laureate(s)Template:Efn | CountryTemplate:Efn | Rationale | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Template:Sortname | Template:IND | For leadership and science in introducing high-yielding wheat and rice varieties to India in the 1960s starting India's Green Revolution, and for leadership at International Rice Research Institute | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp |
| 1988 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For leadership in setting up the International Rice Research Institute and World Vegetable Center, paving the way for creation of CGIAR, and science leading to the development of high yield rice | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1989 | Template:Sortname | Template:IND | For leadership during Operation Flood, for making the farmer the owner of his cooperative, resulting in India emerging as the largest producer of milk | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 1990 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For leadership and science research in potato production and improving its resistance to disease | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| 1991 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For human nutrition studies combatting protein, iodine, and iron deficiencies and developing nutrition rich foods | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1992 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For developing the sterile insect technique to control insect parasites that harm food supply | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | ||||
| 1993 | Template:Sortname | Template:CHN | For reforms as head of the Ministry of Agriculture which made China self-sufficient in food production | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1994 | Template:Sortname | Template:BGD | For innovative micro loan programs for the poor, providing millions of people access to more food and better nutrition | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1995 | Template:Sortname | Template:CHE | For developing a pest control program for the cassava mealybug, which could destroy African cassava crop | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1996 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For advances in rice breeding leading to substantially increased rice production benefitting numerous countries | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:IND | |||
| 1997 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For individual and joint efforts in developing sustainable integrated pest management techniques | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | ||||
| 1998 | Template:Sortname | Template:IND | For improving commercial access to high quality seeds throughout India | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1999 | Template:Sortname | Template:UK | For developing a vaccine against the cattle plague rinderpest | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2000 | Template:Sortname | Template:MEX | For research and leadership in improving the productivity and nutritional content of maize through development of quality protein maize | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:IND | |||
| 2001 | Template:Sortname | Template:DNK | For research efforts leading to changes in policy in several countries related to food subsidy | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2002 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For development of methods to restore fertility to degraded soils in Africa and South America. | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2003 | Template:Sortname | Template:UNO | For transforming the World Food Programme into an effective humanitarian food relief organization | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2004 | Template:Sortname | Template:CHN | For the development of the first hybrid rice varieties including the technologies needed for it | <ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:SLE | For the development of New Rice for Africa, with the potential to increase rice yields in Africa | <ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 2005 | Template:Sortname | Template:IND | For development and dissemination of low-cost techniques for freshwater fish farming | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2006 | Template:Sortname | Template:BRA | For individual efforts in science and policy that opened the Cerrado region of Brazil to agricultural | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | ||||
| Template:Sortname | Template:USA | |||
| 2007 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For improving aseptic packaging and spreading the technology worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2008 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For leadership towards encouraging global commitment to school feeding | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | ||||
| 2009 | Template:Sortname | Template:ETH | For developing Africa's first sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the parasitic witchweed | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2010 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For their leadership in two grassroots organisations tackling hunger and nutrition | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | ||||
| 2011 | Template:Sortname | Template:GHA | For creating and implementing government policies to alleviate hunger and poverty in their countries | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:BRA | |||
| 2012 | Template:Sortname | Template:ISR | For conceiving and implementing micro-irrigation in arid and dry land regions | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2013 | Template:Sortname | Template:BEL | For their individual achievements in modern agricultural biotechnology supporting sustainability and global food security (see controversyTemplate:Efn) | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:USA | |||
| Template:Sortname | ||||
| 2014 | Template:Sortname | Template:IND Template:MEX |
For developing 480 varieties of disease resistant wheat and increasing global production by 200 million tons | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2015 | Template:Sortname | Template:BAN | For building an organization that is effective in reducing poverty in Bangladesh and 10 other countries | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="worldfoodprize">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2016 | Template:Sortname | Template:CPV | For the "single most successful example of biofortification" in the form of biofortified orange-fleshed sweet potato that is resistant, tolerant and high yielding | <ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:UGA | |||
| Template:Sortname | Template:USA | |||
| Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For "the implementation of a multi-institutional approach to biofortification as a global plant breeding strategy" | <ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> | |
| 2017 | Template:Sortname | Template:NGR | For leadership and innovation in building political will to transform African agriculture at all levels | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2018 | Template:Sortname | Template:UK Template:ZAF |
For elevating maternal and child malnutrition to a central issue at national and international levels | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:UK Template:UN | |||
| 2019 | Template:Sortname | Template:NLD | For empowering smallholder farmers in more than 60 countries through enhanced vegetable production | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2020 | Template:Sortname | Template:IND Template:USA |
For a soil-centric approach to sustainably increasing food production | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2021 | Template:Sortname | Template:TTO Template:DNK |
For achievements in pioneering fish-based nutrition-sensitive approaches to food systems | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2022 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For her pioneering work in modeling the impact of climate change on food production worldwide | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2023 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For her farmer-focused development model that revitalizes farmland, food security, livelihoods and resilience after devastating conflict. | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2024 | Template:Sortname | Template:USA | For their extraordinary leadership in preserving and protecting the world's heritage of crop biodiversity and mobilizing this critical resource to defend against threats to global food security. | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Template:UK Template:CAN | |||
| 2025 | Template:Sortname | Template:BRA | For her extraordinary scientific advancements in biological nitrogen fixation, transforming the sustainability of soil health and crop nutrition for tropical agriculture. | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Associated events
The Foundation has expanded into a number of associated events including the Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium, also known as the World Food Prize Symposium or the Borlaug Dialogue.<ref name= Quinn109 />Template:Rp<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp A Youth Institute was established in 1994 to motivate youngsters in agriculture, food, population and connected sciences.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp Youth Institutes have been set up in 24 states of the United States, and three other countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> based on essays, high school students are selected to take part in the activities of these institutes. Participation in these institutes also makes one eligible for an eight-week internship program.<ref name= Hesser2006 />Template:Rp
The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship provides high school students an eight-week opportunity for a hands-on experience, working with scientists and policymakers in hunger and nutrition at research centres around the world.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The internship was founded in 1998 and has funded over 350 Borlaug-Ruan interns who have travelled to 34 agricultural research centres around the world.<ref name=":0"/> The Iowa Hunger Summit has taken place during the week of the World Food Prize events since 2007. The event is open to the public and celebrates the role Iowans play in fighting hunger and advancing food security each year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
Notes
References
External links
- Template:Commons category-inline
- Template:Official website
- {{#invoke:URL|url}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:URL with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | 1 | 2 }}
- {{#invoke:URL|url}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:URL with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | 1 | 2 }}