Agriculture on Center Stage--Awards, Events, Communication

With so many award shows on television, it is surprising there is no award show specifically honoring award shows. But for those involved with feeding the world, the highlight comes with the annual World Food Prize--what some call the "Nobel Prize" of agriculture. 

On October 18, Dr. Lawrence Haddad and Dr. David Nabarro will receive the 2018 World Food Prize for their global leadership in elevating maternal and child undernutrition to a central issue at national and international levels. The week-long gathering in Des Moines, Iowa, will involve many events, including the Borlaug Dialogue—Rise to the Challenge.

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology is actively involved with the proceedings, including the October 17 morning event (cosponsored with CropLife Foundation) honoring the 2018 Borlaug CAST Communication Award winner, Marty Matlock. Click here for details and an invitation to the event. 

Dr. Matlock's research focuses on technologies and processes to increase the resilience of ecosystems. His interdisciplinary work has been praised and honored, and he coordinates a variety of programs at the University of Arkansas. Matlock will speak at the event with the topic "The Promise of Prosperity from the Land in the 21st Century." A panel discussion--hosted in conjunction with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the American Society of Agronomy--will follow: "Global Sustainability for a Vibrant Earth."

BCCA Winners Continue to Make an Impact

If an award includes the words "Borlaug" and "communication," it has to live up to the hype. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award has done just that. The honor is presented annually for outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors for contributing to the advancement of science in the public policy arena.

CAST has sponsored the award for the past nine years, and the recipients--from last year's winner, Jayson Lusk, to the first laureate in 2010, Akin Adesina--have been beacons of research, scholarship, and communication in the ag/science world.

All of the laureates have shown that science and research are important, but they also know that communication is essential. They "walk the walk" in various ways as they promote global food security. Check their websites and social media activities to gain from their insights.

  

For example: 

Jayson Lusk, the 2017 laureate, uses blogs and other forms of media to advocate for science as he explains how innovation and growth in agriculture are critical for food security and global progress. 

Alison Van Eenennaam, 2014 winner, was recently featured in a profile that points out her prominence in the fields of livestock breeding and biotechnology--and her tireless advocacy for getting the science right. 

Akinwumi Adesina, a strong proponent for agriculture in Africa, was the 2010 BCCA winner and selected as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate.

by dan gogerty