The president of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina has won the 2017 edition of the World Food Prize for increasing food production in Africa through policy reforms, financial innovation and modern farming practices. The prize which comes with monetary prize of $250,000 was announced by the Iowa foundation that sponsors the prize, also known as the Nobel of food and agriculture.

Adesina has been at the forefront of galvanizing public will to transform African agriculture through initiatives to expand agricultural production, thwart corruption in the Nigerian fertilizer industry and exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent.

The World Food Prize was created by Norman Borlaug, winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. Known as the father of the “green revolution,” Borlaug bred higher-yielding, disease-resistant dwarf varieties of wheat that helped prevent famine in Asia in the 1960s as the world population boomed after World War

Adesina has been described as the Borlaug of Africa, said the Food Prize Foundation, because he promoted the use of improved seeds and fertilizer, larger investment in agriculture and greater access for farmers to credit. “Adesina came to strongly believe that unless fertilizer use gained traction in African countries on a wide scale, the farmers in those countries would never see an improvement in yields nor in their livelihoods,” said the prize foundation.

In 2006, Adesina was the head of the organizers of the African Fertilizer Summit, which led to creation of AGRA that brought about the Green Revolution to the continent.

The award was announced by Kenneth Quinn, president of the food prize foundation, during a ceremony at the USDA headquarters. Adesina, who is now the sixth African laureate was absent during the ceremony.
Source:http://theprofarmer.com/akinwunmi-adesina-adb-president-wins-2017-world-food-prize/

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