Winners of the 2011 World Food Prize announced today are two former presidents, but not of the United States.
The World Food Prize Foundation is honoring John Agyekum Kufuor, former president of Ghana, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, for creating and implementing government policies that alleviated hunger and poverty in their countries. They were commended in remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.
The announcement was made by Richard Fordyce, team lead on USB’s Biotechnology Initiative and a soybean farmer from Bethany, Missouri. “The exciting things are what are to come – the soybeans that will be bred to increase protein, increase oil,” Fordyce said. “If we can move forward with worldwide acceptance of biotech crops, it could be a very exciting time. The potential is very good for soybeans in helping to address world hunger.”
Gates took environmentalists to task for having an idealistic attitude that jeopardizes the ability of developing countries to grow enough food. “They have tried to restrict the spread of biotechnology into sub-Saharan Africa without regard to how much hunger and poverty might be reduced by it.”
Gebisa Ejeta, Purdue University Distinguished Professor of Agronomy plant breeder and geneticist, will receive the 
Laura Foell is a producer from Schaller, Iowa who is a member of the 
For the third year, the 
Another farmer who took part in the global roundtable was Oliver Ransmann of Germany, who was able to attend at the last minute because he happened to be visiting 
The role of soybeans in helping to feed a growing world population was emphasized at the 
Here are a couple of ladies who are World Food Prize winners in my book. They are Victoria Carver (left) with the Iowa Soybean Association who serves on the recently created 
The 2008 
Several soybean groups – including the United Soybean Board, Iowa Soybean Association, Soy Foods Council, WISHH, and 
Appropriately, the event today is held on World Food Day, and the World Soy Foundation was able to announce a new donation by Silk soy milk, a WhiteWave Foods brand, according to foundation director Jim Hershey. “
One of the participants in the 2008 World Food Prize symposium who caught my eye yesterday was Dr. Gale Buchanan, USDA Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics. I saw him sitting in on every session I attended, so I caught up with him for an interview about the event and what he thought. 
Among the presenters was Brazil’s former minister of agriculture Roberto Rodrigues, co-chair of the 
Another speaker on the same panel was Pioneer Hi-Bred International president Paul Schickler who talked about all the improvements in seed technology and how it has increased production. He took the first question to the panel, which was “How optimistic are you that the world can reduce hunger by half by 2015?”
Today has been “Blog Action Day” and the theme this year is poverty. Coincidentally, that is the basic theme here in Des Moines at the 
This year’s winners are former U.S. Senators George McGovern and Bob Dole, who are responsible for legislation creating an international school-feeding program which has provided meals to feed more than 22 million children in 41 countries. They are pictured here during a dialogue held at the event with 2003 World Food Prize winner Catherine Bertini, former executive director of the World Food Program. 
Even though the word “crisis” is being used liberally here at the 
Conway stressed the need to address why we want to produce biofuels and the urgency to move quickly into second and even third generation biofuels – such as cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass and biodiesel from algae. “Maybe we should have a new World Food Prize on this,” Conway said. “In which we transform the world from one dependent on fossil fuels for energy and production of chemicals, into one that depends on plants as a basic source of our economy.”
This is Justin Cremer, director of communications for the World Food Prize, at the door of the press room. Not too many media types here yet – more will be on hand for the bigger events, like the Laureate’s Forum tonight and the actual presentation of the World Food Prize on Thursday. 
One person who is here is Susan Carter – the newest member of USDA’s broadcast team. She took over the spot vacated by the legendary Brenda Curtis when she retired early this year. Susan has been on the job since May and while she is smiling in this photo, she has been experiencing some of the usual on the road headaches – flight delays and cancellations, internet problems and computer issues. Bless her heart – and she is still smiling.
One of the highlights of the event will be Thursday’s luncheon with the esteemed Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the World Food Prize.