2010 World Food Prize Keynote Address to be Delivered by Kofi Annan
Former UN Secretary General will headline a list of keynote speakers at 2010 Borlaug Dialogue symposium Oct. 13 to 15 in Des Moines.
Rod Swoboda
Published: May 20, 2010
Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will be one of the main speakers at the 2010 World Food Prize symposium Oct. 13-15 in Des Moines, Iowa. The announcement was made by the World Food Prize Foundation May 18. The foundation is headquartered in Des Moines.
Theme for this year's Borlaug Dialogue meeting is "Take It To The Farmers: Reaching the World's Smallholders." Annan, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, is chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.
Inspired by the last words of Nobel Laureate and World Food Prize founder Dr. Norman Borlaug, the 2010 Borlaug Dialogue international symposium will gather the top minds and foremost leaders in global agriculture, food and development this October in Des Moines—with a special focus on the world's small-scale farmers. Borlaug, a plant scientist, agronomist and an Iowa native known as the Father of the Green Revolution, died at age 95 on September 12, 2009.
Food and agriculture policy to be covered Oct. 13 to 15
As global leaders and institutions carry out work to increase ag production and ensure food security worldwide—on the heels of severe food shortages, economic crises and other upheavals of the past several years—the small-holder farmer is poised to play a unique role in enhancing the food supply for families and communities around the globe.
However, small-holder farmers also face particular challenges that must be overcome in order to meet international goals to produce enough food for a growing population in the face of limited resources.
This three-day Borlaug Dialogue will address major themes
• Smallholder farming and rural livelihoods
• How ag development can be done in partnership with small farmers and with specific benefits for small farmers
• Major challenges affecting small producers and their communities, including energy resources for food production, climate change and water access, and demographic changes
• Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among small-holders
• The role of smallholders in stewardship of soil, water and biodiversity
• Livestock in rural food systems, livelihoods and health
• Dietary diversity, increasing nutritional content and availability, and reducing post-harvest losses in small-scale agriculture
• Small-scale farmers' role in the global food and agricultural trading system
• Grassroots and collaborative partnerships toward food security
These topics and other critical issues will be explored through keynote presentations and lively engaging conversation sessions that will feature the expertise and diverse perspectives of policymakers, CEOs and executives from agribusiness and NGOs, scientific and academic experts, development leaders—along with several farmers from around the world.
The 2010 dates for the World Food Prize symposium and the other events surrounding it are:
• Tuesday October 12: Fourth Annual Iowa Hunger Summit
• Wednesday October 13: Borlaug Dialogue, Day 1
• Thursday October 14: Borlaug Dialogue, Day 2; Laureate Award Ceremony in the evening
• Friday October 15: Borlaug Dialogue, Day 3
• Saturday October 16: Global Youth Institute; United Nation's World Food Day; Normal Borlaug World Food Prize Day in Iowa
For information about the 2010 World Food Prize symposium or to make reservations to attend the October 13 to 15 event go to www.worldfoodprize.org or phone 515-245-3783.
2010 World Food Prize Winner to be announced June 16
The name of the 2010 World Food Prize laureate will be announced at a media briefing at the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. on June 16. Participating in that announcement will be U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, along with John Ruan III, chairman of the World Food Prize Foundation, and Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize.
The 2010 laureate or winner of the World Food Prize will receive the $250,000 award during the ceremony which will take place Oct. 14 at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
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Tagged: food security, Harvest, farming, hunger, United Nations
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