Des Moines, Iowa
February 15, 2008
Commitment to restore Hall of
Laureates - New home of annual Borlaug Dialogue
The World Food Prize
Foundation today accepted a $5 million contribution from
Monsanto Company to ensure
the continuation of the annual World Food Prize International
Symposium -- now known as the "Borlaug Dialogue." The funds
support a renewed fundraising campaign to transform the historic
Des Moines Public Library building into a public museum to honor
Dr. Norman Borlaug and the work of the World Food Prize
Laureates.
The symbolic donation was made Friday at a press event in the
rotunda of the former library. Monsanto President, Chairman and
CEO Hugh Grant made the announcement with various state and
local officials present. Also present was Julie Borlaug,
granddaughter to Dr. Norman Borlaug, who read a statement from
her grandfather.
"I am extremely grateful to Monsanto and Hugh Grant for their
commitment and am pleased that this magnificent building will
serve as a permanent home to carry on the mission and events of
the World Food Prize," Dr. Borlaug's statement said.
Monsanto's contribution is meant to ensure that the Norman E.
Borlaug Hall of Laureates will become the permanent home of "The
Borlaug Dialogue," the World Food Prize's annual symposium on
cutting-edge topics of global food security.
Both the building and the symposium are named in honor of the
Iowa-born Borlaug, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970
for his role in saving the lives of upwards of one billion
people as the "Father of the Green Revolution." Borlaug founded
the World Food Prize in 1986. It has since become informally
known as the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture" and the
annual Borlaug Dialogue has come to be seen as one of America's
foremost international conferences.
"Agriculture is at the intersection of many of the conversations
thought-leaders around the globe are having today," said Grant.
"Our contribution will help carry forward Dr. Borlaug's vision
of bringing together the global ag community to connect and
share information that can make an impact against global hunger,
food security and other related issues."
Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of the World Food Prize
Foundation, expressed the deepest gratitude of the foundation,
Borlaug, and the family of Chairman John Ruan. "With this
extraordinarily generous contribution, Monsanto will be
officially recognized as a Borlaug Legacy Donor," said Quinn.
"This designation is reserved for those organizations or
individuals who have committed $5 million dollars or more to
ensure that Norman Borlaug will receive the recognition he so
richly deserves. Monsanto joins Polk County and the Ruan family
in this very special category."
In addition to being the home of the Borlaug Dialogue, the
Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates will emphasize the
importance of global food security in today's world and will
honor Dr. Borlaug, along with the World Food Prize Laureates and
Iowa's agricultural and humanitarian pioneers, for their
significant contributions to the global fight against hunger and
helping feed the world. Open to the public, the Hall of
Laureates will serve as a museum to recognize great achievements
in agriculture and as an educational facility featuring
interactive displays on hunger and food security. It will also
house the organization's new national Youth Institute program,
and conference and community events for other local groups and
organizations.
With the $5 million commitment from Monsanto, the World Food
Prize has now secured $19.3 million of the total $29.8 million
needed to complete the project. The Norman Borlaug Hall of
Laureates is scheduled to be completed in 2010.
The World Food Prize was founded by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug in
1986 to recognize and inspire breakthrough achievements in
improving the quality, quantity or availability of food
throughout the world. Laureates have been recognized from
Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cuba, Denmark, India, Mexico, Sierra
Leone, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and
the United States. In 1990, Des Moines businessman and
philanthropist John Ruan assumed sponsorship of The Prize and
established The World Food Prize Foundation, located in Des
Moines, Iowa.
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