AMES, Iowa — The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) presented the 2025 Borlaug CAST Communication Award (BCCA) to Dr. David L. Ortega, Professor and Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics and Policy at Michigan State University, at a ceremony held March 3, 2026, at Madison Hall in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The event also marked the presentation of CAST’s Science Communication Scholarship to Suraksha Baral, a Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University.
2025 Borlaug CAST Communication Award: Dr. David L. Ortega
Dr. Ortega was recognized for his sustained record of translating food and agricultural economics research into accessible, evidence-based communication for policymakers, the media, and the general public. His research addresses consumer behavior, food prices, agricultural trade, and supply chain dynamics. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, accumulated nearly 4,000 citations, and secured over $9 million in competitive research funding.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Ortega has made more than 400 media appearances in outlets including The New York Times, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, ABC News, and PBS NewsHour. He has provided testimony before the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees, the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, and state legislatures.
Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Dr. Ortega moved to the United States at age ten. He earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and has been a faculty member at Michigan State University, the nation’s first land-grant university, where he conducts research, teaching, and outreach as part of the university’s land-grant mission.
CAST CEO Dr. Chris Boomsma said: “Dr. Ortega exemplifies the very purpose of the Borlaug CAST Communication Award. His ability to clearly explain the economics of food systems helps policymakers, decision-makers, and the public make more informed decisions.”
Dr. Jill J. McCluskey, President-Elect of the International Association of Agricultural Economists and Dr. Ortega’s nominator, noted that he “publicly offers timely and data-driven economic insights during major disruptions—such as the pandemic and tariff escalation—shaping national policy discourse.”
In remarks delivered at the ceremony, Dr. Ortega reflected on the responsibility that comes with his research platform: “I accept this award not as a personal achievement, but as a reminder, to myself and to everyone in this room, that the work of explaining the economics of our food system is never finished.”
The BCCA is named in honor of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug and is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to communicating agricultural science to broader audiences.
CAST Science Communication Scholarship: Suraksha Baral
Also recognized at the ceremony was Suraksha Baral, recipient of the CAST Science Communication Scholarship. A third-year Ph.D. student in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University, Baral received a $1,000 scholarship in recognition of her work communicating behavioral and environmental economics research to non-academic audiences.
Baral’s scholarship application highlighted her leadership of the Can Fairy program, a community initiative developed in collaboration with SWACO Franklin County, the University District Organization, and Green Scope Consulting. The program engaged 200 households in Columbus, Ohio, delivering recycling containers alongside educational materials—including graphics, memes, and short videos—designed to explain recycling practices and the environmental consequences of contamination in accessible terms.
She has also communicated agricultural data to public audiences at the Farm Science Review, where she used charts and maps to illustrate trends in farm consolidation across the Midwest, connecting statistical findings to questions about land use, rural communities, and the future of farming in the region. At Ohio State, she has collaborated with agricultural communications students to develop outreach modules translating research papers for non-academic audiences.
Unable to attend in person, Baral shared a video message at the ceremony, available at youtu.be/svuO98CvpD0. In her remarks, she described her view of the communication gap her work aims to address: “People usually do not ignore science because they do not care. Often, they just cannot translate it into daily decisions. Small difference in how information is explained can determine whether a household participates correctly or gives up.”
The CAST Science Communication Scholarship is open annually to undergraduate and graduate students who are CAST Student Members or enrolled at a CAST member university. It is evaluated on the clarity, accuracy, creativity, and potential impact of applicants’ science communication work.
About CAST
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) is a nonprofit organization that assembles, interprets, and communicates credible, balanced, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. Through its network of scientific societies, companies, and individual members, CAST advances the understanding of food, agriculture, and natural resources.
For more information, visit cast-science.org.
