Ukraine farmer to address global agricultural experts at World Food Prize Foundation’s Borlaug Dialogue
12 October 2022, Lowa: A farmer in Ukraine will draw attention to the plight of Europe’s breadbasket at the World Food Prize Foundation’s International Borlaug Dialogue next week.
Kees Huizinga, who has reached global audiences chronicling the impact of Russia’s war with Ukraine on food production, will join a panel to discuss the triple threats of conflict, Covid-19 and climate change on Tuesday, October 18.
The war in Ukraine has sent global wheat futures spiraling amid negotiations to release stockpiles of grain from blockaded ports, leaving farmers facing prolonged uncertainty.
“The impact of the war in Ukraine on commodity prices has clearly shown how interconnected and interdependent the global food supply is,” said Huizinga, who has a 15,000-hectare farm about 200 kilometers south of the capital city of Kiev.
“The only way many farmers have survived is through diversified production beyond wheat,” Huizinga said. “Striving for peace is a matter of both national security and food security.”
This year’s Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, will bring together more than 600 scientists, farmers, policymakers, students, academics and business leaders to focus on the theme of “Feeding a Fragile World”.
Huizinga will join panelists Dhanush Dinesh, founder at think tank Clim-Eat; Yossi Kofman, CEO at Groundwork BioAg; Alanna Koch, Board Chair at the Global Institute for Food Security; and Priscilla Trinh, a member of the World Food Prize Fondation’s Council of Advisors, at a session on Tuesday, October 18.
“Farmers are the frontline of our food systems, which means their resilience in the face of evolving challenges will define global food security,” said Barbara Stinson, President of the World Food Prize Foundation.
“This is why the World Food Prize Foundation ensures a seat at the table for farmers like Kees, whose insights and experience are critical,” Stinson added.
In addition to expert panels, speakers such as USAID Administrator Samantha Power; Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; and Rodger Voorhies, president of Global Growth and Opportunity at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will deliver keynote speeches.
The event will also recognize this year’s World Food Prize Laureate, NASA climate scientist Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig and the Borlaug Field Award Recipient, Mahalingham Govindaraj.
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