World Food Prize international symposium kicks off

Focus on resilient and sustainable food systems

The World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium has commenced from October 12, 2020. The five day virtual event is one of the world’s premier conferences on global agriculture.

Held each October in conjunction with the presentation of the World Food Prize, the ’Borlaug Dialogue’ is a three-day symposium that brings together international experts, policy leaders, business executives and farmers to address cutting-edge issues in global food security and nutrition.

This year’s theme, ’Breaking new ground: Building resilience today for improved global food systems tomorrow,’ recognizes the urgent need for equity, sustainability and improved nutrition in our food systems.Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) science and innovation are crucial to improving global food systems.

This is underscored by the selection of CGIAR alumnus Dr Rattan Lal as the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate. Dr Lal has spent 18 years at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a CGIAR Research Center, where he spearheaded research demonstrating that soil organic matter and carbon are crucial to sustaining and enhancing the quantity and quality of food production.

CGIAR will take part in several high-level roundtables and side events this year, focusing on the contribution of CGIAR science and innovation to building food systems that are resilient and sustainable, and meet the food and nutrition needs of the world’s most vulnerable populations.