World Food Prize
From Freepedia
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 in a televised award ceremony held in the House Chamber of the Iowa State Capitol. The Award Ceremony coincides with the World Food Prize International Symposium, which addresses a topic related to hunger and food security each year. The topic in 2005 is "Nutrition: The Dual Global Challenges of Malnutrition and Obesity."
Laureates
World Food Prize Laurates are announced annually on United Nations World Food Day. The winners receive USD $250,000.
| Year | Laureate | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta | 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. | 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 | 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 rice lines 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 | 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 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. | Work with the International Rice Research Institute and his leadership in 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. |
