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Nominations Now Open for the 2021 World Food Prize

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Nominations are now open for the 2021 World Food Prize – a prestigious international award recognising the accomplishments of individuals working to end global hunger.

WHAT: A $250,000 prize, awarded to exceptional individuals who have helped advance human development, by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food around the world.

DEADLINE: May 1 2020

NOMINATE: http://bit.ly/foodprize21

With nominations for the 2021 award closing on May 1, the World Food Prize Foundation is calling on the global community to submit eligible candidates deserving of the honour. Any academic or research institution, private or public organisation, or government department is qualified to nominate.

Nominees should be able to demonstrate an outstanding achievement in improving food production or distribution, particularly in relation to improving availability and provision in the developing world.

Possible areas of achievement include soil and land; plant and animal science; food science and technology; nutrition; rural development; marketing; food processing, packaging and storage; water and the environment; natural resource conservation; physical infrastructure; transportation and distribution; special or extraordinary feeding programmes; social organisation and poverty elimination; economics and finance; policy analysis and implementation; and public advocacy.

The nominee’s achievement must have resulted in a demonstrable increase in the quantity, quality or availability of food for a large number of people. This impact must also be measurable or proven in relation to improved health, better nutrition, enhanced quality of life, reduced poverty, decreased hunger or alleviated suffering. Similarly, this increase in food security must be clearly attributable to the nominee’s specific actions.

Last year’s laureate, Simon Groot, was honoured for the part he played in empowering millions of smallholder farmers across more than 60 countries to earn higher incomes through better vegetable production. In turn, this gave hundreds of millions of people access to more nutritious vegetables for healthier diets.

As founder of East-West Seed, his work over the past four decades has led to the development of a dynamic tropical vegetable seed industry, centred around smallholder farmers. Starting out in Southeast Asia, the company’s impact has now spread throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

This year, the World Food Prize Foundation is encouraging more nominations for female candidates.

The World Food Prize is formally presented on or around World Food Day (October 16) every year, at the Laureate Award Ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa.

Further information about the World Food Prize Foundation can be found here. To learn more about the nomination process for the World Food Prize, or to nominate a candidate, visit this page.

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