Greetings, Dish readers! The past week has been a whirlwind of celebration around the folks doing some of the world’s most transformative work to create more sustainable and equitable food systems — along with high-dollar prizes to continue that work.
First up, this year’s World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, brought together some 1,300 scientists, farmers, and agribusiness leaders from more than 75 countries. The theme of “Harnessing Change” seemed especially fitting in an era where climate shocks and conflicts are wreaking havoc on food security worldwide.
This year’s World Food Prize winner was Heidi Kühn, who was honored at a ceremony last week. Kühn is the founder of the nonprofit Roots of Peace, which focuses on the direct link between conflict and hunger by restoring agriculture to war zones. Event organizers made the surprise announcement that the prize would be doubled to $500,000, starting with Kühn.
About the authors
Lauren Evans@laurenfaceevans
Lauren Evans was formerly an Assistant Editor/Senior Associate in the Office of the President at Devex. As a journalist, she covers international development and humanitarian action with a focus on climate and gender. Her work has appeared in outlets like Foreign Policy, Wired UK, Smithsonian Magazine and others, and she’s reported internationally throughout East Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Tania Karas@TaniaKaras
Tania Karas is a Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development and humanitarian aid in the Americas. Previously, she managed the digital team for The World, where she oversaw content production for the website, podcast, newsletter, and social media platforms. Tania also spent three years as a foreign correspondent in Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, covering the Syrian refugee crisis and European politics. She started her career as a staff reporter for the New York Law Journal, covering immigration and access to justice.
