IARN — Dr. Shakuntala Thilsted of Trinidad and Tobago and Denmark was awarded the 2021 World Food Prize at a ceremony Thursday night in Des Moines.
Known for her groundbreaking research on aquaculture and food systems, Dr. Thilsted was honored for harnessing the use of aquaculture to fulfill the nutrition needs of rural communities, specifically women and children, in Asia and Africa. Dr. Thilsted was introduced by Governor Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Capitol.
“To our newest Laureate, I am so pleased to add my congratulations on your selection to receive the most significant recognition in global food security,” said Reynolds. “Your groundbreaking research into agriculture and nutrition has truly been transformative, profoundly affecting the lives of countless people around the world for the better. With that, and through the official proclamation, I now proclaim Dr. Thilsted the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate.”
During her acceptance speech, Dr. Thilsted called on young researchers and students to be inspired by her work and to take it to new heights.
“In 2015, I attended this ceremony as a guest of the foundation,” said Dr. Thilsted. “I never thought that one day, today, I would be standing on this podium as the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate. I am truly honored to be awarded this prize. Since the announcement of the 2021 World Food Prize in May, I have been thrilled to see this recognition has greatly magnified global attention to aquatic foods as a powerful gamechanger to what’s healthier and sustainable diets that work for all people and our planet.”
Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture,” the World Food Prize is the most prominent global award recognizing an individual who has enhanced human development and confronted global hunger through improving the quality, quantity or availability of food for all.
Distinguished guests at the ceremony were U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Mexican Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Víctor Manuel Villalobos Arámbula.
More information about Dr. Thilsted’s backround can be found on the World Food Prize website.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
Pictured: Dr. Shakuntala Thilsted receives the 2021 World Food Prize. (Photo courtesy of Iowa PBS)
