World Food Prize
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
The prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug, and since 1990 has been sponsored by businessman and philanthropist John Ruan. The prize recognizes contributions in all fields involved in the world food supply — food and agriculture science and technology, manufacturing, marketing, nutrition, economics, poverty alleviation, political leadership and the social sciences. As well as recognizing personal accomplishments, Borlaug saw the prize as a means of establishing role models who would inspire others.
Laureates are honored and officially awarded their prize in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in a televised award ceremony held in the House Chamber of the Iowa State Capitol. The Award Ceremony coincides with the Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium, which addresses a topic related to hunger and food security each year. The topic in 2006 was "The Green Revolution Redux: Can We Replicate the Single Greatest Period of Hunger Reduction in All Human History?".
The 2007 "Borlaug Dialogue" will be held October 18-19 and will focus on the global implications of biofuels and other emerging technologies in food and agricultural science.
[edit] Laureates
World Food Prize Laureates are formally honored at the World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony annually on or near October 16, United Nations World Food Day. The winners receive USD $250,000.
The announcement of the World Food Prize Laureate is made in the late spring or early summer prior to her or his formal recognition in October.
| Year | Laureate | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Edson Lobato, Brazil, His Excellency Alysson Paolinelli, Brazil, and Dr. A. Colin McClung, United States. | Pioneering work in soil science and policy implementation that opened the vast Cerrado region of Brazil to agricultural and food production. |
| 2005 | Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta, India. | Development and dissemination of low-cost techniques for freshwater fish farming (using tilapia species) by the rural poor. |
| 2004 | Prof. Yuan Longping, China. | Development of hybrid rice varieties |
| 2004 | Dr. Monty Jones, Sierra Leone. | Development of New Rice for Africa (NERICA), with the potential to increase rice yields in Africa. |
| 2003 | Catherine Bertini, United States/United Nations. | Transforming the World Food Programme from a development assistance program to the largest and most effective humanitarian food relief organization |
| 2002 | Dr. Pedro A. Sanchez, United States/Cuba. | Development of methods to restore fertility to degraded soils in Africa and South America. |
| 2001 | Dr. Per Pinstrup Andersen, Denmark. | Establishment of "Food For Education" programs in which the families receive food subsidies when children stay in school. |
| 2000 | Dr. Evangelina Villegas, Mexico, and Dr. Surinder K. Vasal, India. | Developing high quality protein maize (QPM). |
| 1999 | Dr. Walter Plowright, United Kingdom. | Developing a vaccine against the cattle plague rinderpest. |
| 1998 | Dr. B.R. Barwale, India. | Founder of independent seed company Mahyco, strengthening seed supply and distribution throughout India. |
| 1997 | Dr. Ray F. Smith, United States, and Dr. Perry Adkisson, United States. | Developing the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which employs various techniques to protect crops from insect damage in an environmentally sustainable manner. |
| 1996 | Dr. Henry Beachell, United States, and Dr. Gurdev Khush, India. | Developing "miracle rice" varieties that doubled rice production in Asia since their development. |
| 1995 | Dr. Hans R. Herren, Switzerland. | Developing a pest control program for the cassava mealybug, which could destroy African cassava crop. |
| 1994 | Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh. | Founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, developed innovative small loan programs for the poor, providing millions of people access to more food and better nutrition. |
| 1993 | His Excellency He Kang, China. | Initiation of reforms while head of the Ministry of Agriculture which made China self-sufficient for food production. |
| 1992 | Dr. Edward F. Knipling, United States, and Dr. Raymond C. Bushland, United States. | Developing the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control insect parasites that harm the world's food supply. |
| 1991 | Dr. Nevin S. Scrimshaw, United States. | Human nutrition studies that led to the use of protein-rich food products to combat malnutrition in developing countries. |
| 1990 | Dr. John Niederhauser, United States. | Discovering a durable resistance to potato late blight. |
| 1989 | Dr. Verghese Kurien, India. | Turned the milksheds of India into the Amul cooperatives that produce, process, and market milk in the urban centres of that country. |
| 1988 | Dr. Robert F. Chandler, United States. | Founding leadership of the International Rice Research Institute and his dedication to developing tropical rice varieties that doubled and tripled the yields of traditional varieties. |
| 1987 | Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, India. | Introducing high-yielding wheat and rice varieties to India starting India's Green Revolution. |
