Microbiologist from São Paulo Named 2025 World Food Prize Laureate

Dr. Mariangela Hungria, a microbiologist from São Paulo, whose discoveries helped Brazil become a global agricultural powerhouse, has been named the 2025 World Food Prize Laureate. Dr. Hungria has developed dozens of biological seed and soil treatments that help crops source nutrients through soil bacteria, significantly increasing yields of major crops while also reducing the need for synthetic fertilizer.

Dr. Hungria, a professor at the State University of Paraná and the Federal University of Technology of the State of Paraná, will receive the $500,000 award for her work to harness biological processes to sustainably improve crop nutrition, yields, and productivity. Her products are estimated to have been used across more than 40 million hectares in Brazil, saving farmers up to US$40 billion a year in input costs while avoiding more than 180 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per year.

Her work has helped improve yields of wheat, maize, rice, common beans, and other major crops, including soybeans, which is now Brazil's top agricultural export. Over her 40-year career with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), national soybean production increased from 15 million tons in 1979 to an anticipated 173 million tons in the coming harvest.

Dr. Hungria, who overcame prejudices against women and young mothers in academia to be named one of the 100 most powerful women in agriculture in Brazil by Forbes in 2021, said she was inspired by Dr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution and founder of the World Food Prize.

The announcement of the 2025 World Food Prize Laureate, the premier international award for food and agriculture, was made at the organization's international headquarters, the Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates, on May 13, 2025. The event was presided over by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, and the Announcement was made by Foundation President Mashal Husain. Remarks were given by Foundation Board Chair Paul Schickler and Foundation CEO Tom Vilsack.

For more details, read the news release in the World Food Prize Newsroom.