The Food and Land Use Coalition is delighted to announce that Dr David Nabarro and Dr Lawrence Haddad have been jointly awarded the prestigious 2018 World Food Prize. Awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation, this global award honours breakthrough achievements to alleviate hunger and promote global food security.
“David is a tireless advocate for the sustainable development goals, and has been instrumental in developing the capacity of organisations and individuals to think systemically and adopt integrated approaches. Lawrence’s research has enhanced greatly our understanding of food insecurity and malnutrition. The Food and Land-use Coalition – FOLU – benefits immensely from both David and Lawrence’s leadership and experience as we advocate for nutritious, accessible and environmentally sustainable food systems. The award is highly deserved, and we congratulate them on receiving this incredible honour.”
– Jeremy Oppenheim
Founded in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Norman E. Borlaug, the World Food Prize recognises individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. This year, the Prize honours Dr Nabarro and Dr Haddad for their leadership in maternal and child undernutrition and contributions to reducing the number of stunted children by 10 million between 2012 and 2017.
The World Food Prize recognises Dr Nabarro’s work as head of the UN High-Level Task Force on Global Food Security in 2008 to 2014 and Coordinator of the United Nation’s Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. During this time, Dr Nabarro united 54 countries and one Indian state under the SUN Movement to implement evidence-based policies and fight child malnutrition in South Asia and Africa. Many participating countries reported a significant decline in the number of stunted children after adopting SUN guidelines. Dr Nabarro continues to oversee SUN through his service on its advisory Lead Group.
The Prize recognises Dr Haddad’s work in persuading policymakers to place a high priority on global nutrition, emphasising the fact that improving nutrition will almost halve child mortality before the age of 5. He established initiatives for accountability and guidance in global nutrition through the creation of the Global Nutrition Report, which analysed government advancements in reducing malnutrition. Through Dr Haddad’s leadership, governments can see their progress and allocate resources where they are needed most to combat malnutrition across the globe.
“As I receive this wonderful award, I reflect on the thousands of courageous women and men who are working at local level for food systems that are well-functioning and just. They have the wisdom needed to reduce levels of malnutrition or diet-related illness. They can devise food systems that benefit people and the planet and that contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They are the transformation leaders of the future.”
– David Nabarro
Dr Nabarro is Strategic Director of Skills, Systems & Synergies for Sustainable Development (4SD), a Switzerland-based social enterprise to mentor professionals working for sustainable development. He is a Senior Advisor at SYSTEMIQ, serving as a member of the senior management team for the Food and Land use Coalition (FOLU). He advises the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) on food systems issues and curates the Food Systems Dialogues initiated by EAT, the World Economic Forum and WBCSD. He also holds a position as Professor of Global Health at Imperial College London.
Dr Haddad is the Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. He is also Chair of the Global Panel Foresight Lead Expert Group. He is an economist and his research interests are the intersection of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. Dr Haddad is an Ambassador for the FOLU Coalition.
Dr Nabarro and Dr Haddad will receive the World Food Prize at a ceremony in the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines, Iowa, on 18 October 2018.
For more information about the World Food Prize, visit www.worldfoodprize.org/FoodPrize18.
