Geoffrey Hawtin, former Chairman of the Board of CATIE, receives the 2024 World Food Prize
The recognition of Dr. Hawtin underscores his commitment and exceptional contribution to global food security.
Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin, member and former Chairman of the Board of CATIE (2005-2012), has been awarded the prestigious 2024 World Food Prize.
This international award highlights individual achievements that have propelled the advancement of human development through improvements in the quality, quantity, and availability of food worldwide. Widely recognized as the "Nobel Prize of Food and Agriculture," it serves as a testament to Dr. Hawtin's remarkable contributions to global food security.
Dr. Hawtin was honored alongside Dr. Cary Fowler as the recipients of the 2024 World Food Prize for their significant contributions to ensuring global food security. Both scientists played pivotal roles in establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, an underground facility located in the Arctic Circle that houses over 1.25 million samples of seeds from more than 6,000 plant species.
Dr. Hawtin also played a crucial role in the creation of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, an international organization that funds the vault in collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, NordGen.
"Dr. Hawtin has made significant contributions to the global work of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and his role in shaping the future of this international organization is paramount," remarked Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in a press release.
"The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the cornerstone of a growing global network of gene banks, and Dr. Hawtin has been instrumental in ensuring that all these institutions have the ultimate backup in the vault in Svalbard."
Gene banks, including the Svalbard Vault, are crucial resources for agricultural scientists, who develop improved varieties of the world's most important food crops. The genetic material contained in these banks has the potential to enhance climate resilience, disease resistance, and nutritional quality of crops, which is increasingly valuable in the context of climate change.
The recognition of Dr. Hawtin with the World Food Prize underscores his commitment and exceptional contribution to global food security, and it is a source of pride for CATIE and the international scientific community dedicated to agriculture and food.
CATIE's Director General, Luis Pocasangre, stated that it is a great honor for CATIE to have a former Chairman of the Board awarded this prestigious recognition. "I was fortunate and honored to work at IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute of CGIAR) during Dr. Hawtin's tenure as Director General. A well-deserved recognition for someone who has devoted his entire life to conservation. Congratulations and long life to Dr. Hawtin," he expressed.
To learn more about this recognition you can click on this link ➡️ https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/laureates/2024_laureates/
Written by: Kattia Bermúdez Mora.
Edited by: Estefanie Ramirez Brenes.