Wheat Scientist Sanjaya Rajaram Awarded the 2014 World Food Prize

Wheat breeder Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram was awarded The World Food Prize during the World Food Day and the UN-FAO's International Year of Family Farming in Des Moines, Iowa. The award was given during the centennial year of its founder and Dr. Rajaram's mentor, Dr. Norman Borlaug.

Dr. Rajaram has developed more than 480 varieties of wheat, and his research led to a remarkable increase in world wheat production by more than 200 million tons. His crossing of winter and spring wheat varieties produced plants that have higher yields and dependability under a wide range of environments around the world. He also developed wheat varieties resistant to the rust disease.

As he accepted the award, Dr. Rajaram said, "This award honors the resilience and innovative spirit of farmers in the developing world and the national agricultural systems. Without their contributions, my research would not have been possible. The mission was – and the mission remains - to serve them."

Dr. Rajaram worked closely with Dr. Borlaug, succeeding him as head of the wheat breeding program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico. Amb. Kenneth M. Quinn, President of The World Food Prize said, "Dr. Borlaug himself called Dr. Rajaram the greatest present-day wheat scientist in the world' and ‘a scientist of great vision." Dr. Rajaram is currently the Director of Resource Seeds International and a consultant to the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

More details are available at: http://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/24667/33059/2014_world_food_prize_awarded_
to_dr_sanjaya_rajaram_at_iowa_state_capitol.