The Prize was founded in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Norman
E. Borlaug and is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements
of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality,
quantity or availability of food in the world.
An economist, Lawrence Haddad has been working to advance nutrition
and food security for three decades, starting with field work in the
Philippines on the impacts of the commercialisation of agriculture on nutrition
status. He taught at the University of Warwick for 3 years, was a researcher at
the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) where he was the
Director of the Food Consumption and Nutrition Division, and he directed the UK’s
world-leading Institute for Development Studies (IDS). In 2014 he was a
founding co-chair of the Global Nutrition Report and was a principal author of
the Report for its first three years.
In his words, “I am honoured to receive this award, which has always
focused on the critical and urgent issues of the time. For our generation, I
believe the issue is not only how to feed the world, but how to nourish it
sustainably. Six of the top 10 risk factors for the global burden of disease
are related to poor diet. This is not surprising because more than 1 in 3
people on the planet eat too little food, too little food of the right type or
too much food of the wrong type. Were he here today I am sure Dr. Borlaug would
have been at the forefront of the fight to create sustainable food systems
capable of addressing all forms of malnutrition – from wasting and stunting to overweight
and obesity”.
Lawrence Haddad joined GAIN in 2016, which, under his leadership,
has focused on making nutritious and safe foods more available, affordable and
desirable for those most in need.
In his reaction to the news, GAIN Nigeria Country Director, Dr
Michael Ojo said "Dr. Haddad has deeply challenged us through his consistent,
passionate and rigorous use of data and evidence to compel leaders in countries
across the world to invest in nutrition, Nigeria inclusive. Under Lawrence’s leadership,
GAIN is now at the forefront of action to improve the quality of diets by
making nutritious foods more affordable accessible and desirable for
everyone. This is central to the
partnership work we are supporting in Nigeria.
By honouring Lawrence, the Prize is endorsing this broad definition of
food security - encouraging to us not only feed the world, but nourish it”.
This Prize is shared with Dr David Nabarro and in his reaction, Dr
Haddad said “On behalf of everyone at GAIN, I would like to congratulate David
and say how honoured I am to share this award with him. His achievement turning
Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) into a movement changed the nutrition landscape
forever. He set the template: be
inclusive and yet decisive, marry science with action; facilitate engagement of
all stakeholders--even when inconvenient; and champion nutrition at all levels,
from the grassroots front line worker to the highest levels of government and
everything in-between”
Also reacting to the news, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, said: “Like Dr. Norman Borlaug before them, Drs. Haddad and
Nabarro have dedicated their careers to reducing hunger and malnutrition. Their
work has deepened our understanding of nutrition’s impact not only on
individual health, but on human capital and economic growth – compelling
leaders in countries across the world to invest in evidence-based solutions”.
The formal presentation of the World Food Prize takes place in Des
Moines in October 2018.
Note to Editors:
1.
Say something about GAIN…The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
(GAIN) was launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by
malnutrition. Working with partners, GAIN aims at making healthier food choices
more affordable, more available, and more desirable thereby improving the
consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most
vulnerable.
2.
The World Food Prize (WFP) is
the preeminent global award in food, its patron Norman Borlaug was the genius
behind the green Revolution and it has been associated with innovation for 30+
years
3.
Both Lawrence and David are
honoured for their efforts to bring together multiple actors – community
grassroots, scientists, businesses, and decisionmakers in government – to bring
about essential policy changes to address the underlying causes of all forms of
malnutrition – poor diet being the biggest cause of global ill health.
4.
Please include the link https://www.gainhealth.org/knowledge-centre/the-man-who-nourished-the-world/
for a blog from Dr Lawrence Haddad on the WFP
Pix: Dr. Haddad
