World Food Prize - Borlaug Dialogue 2024

2024 World Food Prize Laureates

Two scientists who were instrumental in creating a back-up vault of the world’s crop seeds to protect global food security have been named the 2024 World Food Prize Laureates.

Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin OBE, Founding Director and Executive Board member at the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and Dr. Cary Fowler, currently the U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, were chosen by the World Food Prize Laureate Selection Committee for their longstanding contribution to seed conservation and crop biodiversity.

The two men played key roles in establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which today holds 1.25 million seed samples of more than 6,000 plant species in an underground facility in the Arctic Circle. The repository, often referred to as the “Doomsday Vault,” opened in 2008 and stands as the last line of defense against threats to global food security, including pandemics and climate catastrophes.

---

Crop Trust events

Tuesday, 29 October 2024  

Breakout Session

Cultivating Collaboration: Protecting Crop Biodiversity for a Resilient Future

11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT
Rooms 309-310, 3rd floor, Iowa Events Center

Organized in partnership with the U.K. Science and Innovation Network

Harnessing crop diversity is essential to create a sustainable, resilient global food system. This global common good provides the raw materials to enhance food and nutritional security, protect biodiversity, respond to climate change, and deliver other socioeconomic benefits both domestically and internationally. As stewards of the world’s crop diversity, genebanks have a critical role to play in this effort, alongside plant breeders, researchers and of course farmers. This session will introduce the ‘theory of change’ behind the global system of genebanks, and demonstrate the benefits that it brings to society. It will show, through the lenses of academia, innovation accelerators, industry, and multilateral bodies, that success in leveraging crop diversity for food security, depends on alignment between R&D programmes, funding, and policies. The aim is to catalyse new collaborative partnerships across civil society in support of the efforts of genebanks to help meet sustainable development goals.

Speakers: 

• Geoff Hawtin, WFP Laureate/ED Emeritus, Crop Trust
• Nitya Rao, Director, Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development
• Ruth Bastow, Innovation Director, UK Agri-Tech Centre
• Paul Schickler, Retired President, DuPont Pioneer

-~-

Side event

The Cold Hard Facts: Clonal Crops and the Case for Cryopreservation as a Long-term Safety Backup

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CT
Room 311, 3rd floor, Iowa Events Center

Organized in collaboration with CGIAR and the International Potato Center (CIP)

The side event will focus on the critical importance of preserving plant biodiversity for current and future generations. It will feature an overview of the significance of genebanks and the role of seed vaults like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Five of humanity’s ten most important crops (potato, cassava, sweetpotato, yam and banana) cannot be backed up in Svalbard. Instead, these, and other recalcitrant crops, depend on innovations in cryopreservation for efficient long-term conservation. The side event will introduce the concepts and wonders of cryopreservation and its importance in rescuing unique crop diversity that is rapidly disappearing in the fields. It will showcase success stories in the cryopreservation of potato and banana and will highlight work led by CIP, in collaboration with other CGIAR Centers and with National Agriculture Research Systems (NARS), to create a Latin American
cryopreservation hub which promises to serve as a model for other regions. Speakers will also propose the idea - underpinned by CGIAR and the Crop Trust - of a Global Initiative for the cryopreservation of major root, tuber and banana crops that cannot be conserved as seeds. This would build upon and complement the success of Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Speakers:

• Geoff Hawtin, WFP Laureate/ED Emeritus, Crop Trust
• Vania Azevedo, Head of Genebank, CIP
• Charlotte Lusty, Senior Director, Genebanks, CGIAR Genebank Initiative
• Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director, Crop Trust
• Rainer Vollmer, Cryopreservation Specialist, CIP

-~-

Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Main Stage

Opening Remarks: Crop Diversity - Our Lifeline for Better Nutrition and Climate Survival

by Stefan Schmitz

9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. CT
4th floor, Iowa Events Center

-~-

Main Stage

Live with the Laureates: The Power of Biodiversity in Feeding the World

with Cary Fowler and Geoff Hawtin

9:10 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. CT
4th floor, Iowa Events Center

-~-

Dinner (invite only)

Food Forever Experience: Crop Trust 20th Anniversary Celebration 

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. CT
Cloud Ballroom A, Hilton Hotel

This event will be a five course sit down dinner, with dishes featuring opportunity crops prepared by Chef Asha Gomez, Chef Erik Oberholtzer and Chef Anthony Nace (Executive Chef at Hilton Des Moines Downtown)

Speakers:

• Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director, Crop Trust
• Cary Fowler, WFP Laureate/ED Emeritus, Crop Trust
• Geoff Hawtin, WFP Laureate/ED Emeritus, Crop Trust
• Catherine Bertini, Chair of the Executive Board, Crop Trust
• Moderator: Paul Newnham, CEO, SDG2 Advocacy Hub

-~-

Thursday, 31 October 2024

Side event

A Global Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan – Securing a more nutritious and resilient future

11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 
Rooms 307-308, 3rd floor, Iowa Events Center

Organized in partnership with the World Vegetable Center.

Vegetable biodiversity is essential for enhancing climate resilience, ensuring balanced diets and reducing malnutrition worldwide. Vegetables are not only vital for health but also offer significant income and job generation opportunities, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women and youth. They are attractive crops that can drive economic empowerment and social stability.
Without long-term conservation efforts however, vegetable landraces and their wild relatives are at risk of being lost forever because of diet homogenization and land use change. The proposed breakout session aims to discuss and increase the visibility of the importance of rescuing, conserving and enhancing the sustainable use of vegetable biodiversity worldwide.

Speakers:

• Maarten van Zonneveld, Head of Genetic Resources, World Vegetable Center
• Cary Fowler, US Special Envoy for Global Food Security, Washington DC, USA
• Sarada Krishnan, Director of Programs, Global Crop Diversity Trust
• Enoch Achigan-Dako, Head, Department of Plant Science, University of Abomey, Benin
• Peter Wenzl, Genebank Manager, Alliance CIAT/Bioversity
• Chutchamas Kanchana-udomkan, Director of the Tropical Vegetable Research Center, Thailand
• Facilitator: Delphine Larrousse, Director Global Engagement, World Vegetable Center