Iowan Norman Borlaug, who grew up in Cresco, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for a lifetime of work to feed the world’s hungry people. Borlaug also founded the World Food Prize, the foremost international honor recognizing the achievements of individuals who have improved the quality, quantity, or availability of food worldwide.
The winner of this year’s World Food Prize is heralded as Africa’s Norman Borlaug. Akinwumi Adesina has spearheaded major agricultural policies in Nigeria, pushed to change the way the country distributes fertilizer, and challenged the country to modernize its agricultural practices. In doing so, he’s helped to expand Nigerian food production enormously, and he has helped attract billions of dollars in private sector investments in agriculture.
During this River to River interview, he talks with host Ben Kieffer about his work.
The World Food Prize Laureate Ceremonywill air at 7:00 p.m. central time Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 on Iowa Public Television.
