The World Food Prize Foundation, which is behind the most prestigious global annual award in food and agriculture, will undergo a change in leadership as current President Terry Branstad steps down on Jan. 31 and Chief Operating Officer Mashal Husain takes his place.
The Des Moines, Iowa-based foundation is also seeking a chief executive officer, a new position that will focus on “global diplomacy” as it expands its events and programming beyond the United States. Husain will report to the new CEO, for whom a search will be launched.
The World Food Prize was founded by the agronomist Norman Borlaug, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his wildly successful research on increasing crop yields, which became known as the Green Revolution. Since its founding in 1986, the prize has gone to 55 individuals whose work has improved the quality, quantity, or availability of food. It comes with a $500,000 award. Past recipients include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina.
About the author
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.
