Borlaug CAST Communication Award

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announces that the prestigious 2016 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Dr. Kevin Folta, Chair of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). A teacher, mentor, researcher, and organizer, Folta focuses on clear, credible information. He knows how to communicate science to non-scientific audiences—and how to train scientists, farmers, physicians, and students to perform public outreach in scientific or controversial topics.

As a Department Chair, Folta provides statewide administrative leadership in the University of Florida’s teaching, research, and extension fruit and vegetable programs. He coordinates and supports faculty efforts in more than 50 research programs at seven locations, ranging from citrus breeding and biotechnology to organic and sustainable production. His laboratory examines how plants sense light signals and how different parts of the light spectrum can affect shelf life and high-value fruit and vegetable traits. His group also uses novel genomics approaches to identify genes related to flavor and disease resistance.

Communicating about science is a driving force for Folta. His blog (Illumination) covers recent events at the interface between society and science, and his weekly podcast (Talking Biotech) discusses genetic improvements in agriculture and medicine.

Folta received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Northern Illinois University, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin. His curriculum vitae is filled with impressive publications, presentations, and awards—including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Award for undergraduate mentoring, the University of Florida Research Foundation Award, and the University of Florida Postdoctoral Mentoring Award.

With his abilities to engage diverse audiences about anything related to science, Folta is a sought-after speaker at workshops, conferences, podcasts, television shows, and radio broadcasts across the country and around the world. He also designed a communication workshop that teaches scientists how to properly engage a skeptical public. Many supporters agree with Julie Borlaug’s statement: “He has not shied away from controversial subjects and has often been the number one target of the anti-science movement on behalf of all of us who support biotechnology.”

Folta devised a professional development program for postdoctoral researchers—assisting them in the fundamentals of grant writing, application preparation, interviewing, and professional presentation. As one of his students said, “He taught me that my science could go beyond tables and figures to help someone understand the joy of discovery.”

Although he is an accomplished scientist, Folta is respected by his peers and many others for his ability to communicate in a polite, thoughtful, and provocative manner. As one colleague stated, “He treats everyone with tremendous respect. He often transforms conflict-riddled situations into true learning moments.” With his passion for science, knowledge, and understanding, Dr. Folta is a worthy recipient of the Borlaug CAST Communication Award.

An award presentation occurred at a breakfast side event co-hosted by DuPont and CAST at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 12, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacies of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first president of CAST.

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announces that the prestigious 2015 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Dr. Channapatna Prakash, an honored faculty member at Tuskegee University in Alabama. Award nominees must demonstrate an ability to communicate by written material; public presentations; and/or the use of television, radio, or other social media. Prakash excels in all three areas. As a specialist in the field of plant genetics and biotechnology, he has worked for decades delivering clear, science-based information to the public and policymakers alike.
Colleagues focus on the widespread influence Prakash has had in the agricultural community. As one nominator points out, Prakash’s position involves research and teaching, but he has “arguably done more than anyone else in academia or industry to promote agricultural technologies that can help feed the world’s growing population.”

Prakash was instrumental in establishing the prestigious plant biotechnology research and training program at Tuskegee University, and he has a long list of influential publications and presentations—he has presented his messages about agriculture in more than 70 countries. Through teaching, research collaboration, and lectures, he has worked especially hard to promote biotechnology research and policy in the developing countries of Asia and Africa.

Educated in India and Australia, Prakash has a strong connection with those who have made an impact on global food production. Norman Borlaug once praised him for “bringing common sense into the use of biotechnology,” and Julie Borlaug Larson says that Prakash—much like her grandfather—is “dedicated to utilizing science and technology to improve the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations.”

Many emphasize Prakash’s ability to communicate to “every kind of audience… in every medium available.” He uses social media (his Twitter handle is @agbioworld), radio/TV interviews, and other methods to emphasize the potential of agricultural technology. As a colleague said, “He is one of the strongest and most consistent voices countering the spread of misinformation.”

Prakash has received numerous honors in the past, and now he can add the 2015 Borlaug CAST Communication Award to his credits. But no doubt for him, the most important thing is his capacity to enhance the societal awareness of food biotechnology issues around the world—his ability to communicate.

An award presentation will occur at a breakfast side event co-hosted by DuPont and CAST at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 14, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacies of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first president of CAST.4

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) presented the 2014 Borlaug CAST Communication Award to Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, October 15, 2014, at a morning event in conjunction with the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa. Recipients of this annual award are science/ag experts who demonstrate an ability to communicate by written material, public presentations, and various forms of media. Van Eenennaam is known for her communication skills and praised for her understanding of biotechnology, her enthusiasm for agricultural education, and her abilities to use novel ideas to get important messages to policymakers and the public alike.

Van Eenennaam spoke about “The Livestock Revolution” and other issues of interest to the agriculture community. She has given more than 250 presentations around the world and made appearances on the Dr. Oz Show, Animal Planet, and NPR. This year’s award is sponsored by DuPont, with the breakfast presentation event being sponsored by DuPont Pioneer. A Food Dialogues session hosted by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance followed the CAST program.

A faculty member and Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of California-Davis, Van Eenennaam has been involved with 60 peer-reviewed publications, including two important CAST papers–a commentary about genetically engineered animals and an issue paper examining the potential impacts of mandatory labeling for GMO food.

Van Eenennaam has served on several national committees and won many distinguished honors. She also uses her creative talents to communicate information about science and agriculture with videos that include a documentary about animal biotechnology, a collaboration with students featuring a parody of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” and an award-winning film clip that uses an old song to promote agricultural innovation.

With her many talents, Dr. Van Eenennaam represents the true nature of the award inspired by Norman Borlaug. One of her colleagues summed up her impact this way: “Her creativity and personal talent to engage and communicate have enabled her to illustrate the importance of technology to a broad audience including students, non-scientists, livestock producers, government officials, policymakers, regulators, and scientific peers. This is not only rare; it is truly remarkable.”

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announces that the prestigious 2013 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Jeff Simmons, the President of Elanco. Nominees must demonstrate an ability to communicate by written material; public presentations; and/or the use of television, radio, or other social media. Simmons was nominated by colleagues from several industry and nonprofit organizations. They recognize his significant contributions, including his passion for finding solutions for world hunger. Simmons is praised for his understanding of scientific data, his enthusiasm for agricultural innovations, and his support for the organizations and companies working on food security in a hungry world.

Knowledge and energy alone would not necessarily make Simmons a successful leader on the global stage; however, he is also able to transfer his personal passion into communicating effectively to a variety of audiences. As one colleague noted, “Simmons has that special ability to put the multiple complex issues involved in confronting hunger and the critical role of science in that process in terms that are not only understandable but inspiring.”

Established in 1986 by CAST, the annual award goes to a specialist who communicates the importance of food and agricultural science to the public, policymakers, and the news media. Simmons’ noted ability to communicate credible scientific information has made him a respected expert in his field and a popular speaker at agriculture and science events.

Simmons began developing his passion for food security as an ag student and FFA member in New York where he gathered experience and awards at an early age. After studying marketing and agricultural economics at Cornell, he joined Elanco, and his abilities led to leadership roles for the company in Brazil and Europe. During the ensuing years, he has built a reputation for his writing, speaking, and organizing expertise. His international experience gave him broad perspectives on food and agriculture, and he has published two white papers on the problems of global hunger. Simmons supports many groups ranging from Gleaners Food Bank to Heifer International, and he has traveled worldwide in an effort to make food security a reality for all.

One nominator sums up Simmons’ impact this way: “Jeff’s affable personality and warmth balance his dynamic energy, intellectualism, and excitement when talking about our food future, so the message is readily received. Jeff can distill data and present it so that it is easily understandable, garnering confidence and trust in the premise conveyed.”

Diverse audiences benefit from Simmons’ insights because he has a clear message and an ability to bring statistics and research into focus. He addresses groups that include senior business executives, government officials, research scientists, and 4-H or FFA members. Simmons gets his point across whether he is working face-to-face, on YouTube, or through Twitter (@JeffSimmons2050). In the modern world of agriculture, he is an inspiring communicator and a worthy recipient of the 2013 Borlaug CAST Communication Award.

An award presentation occurred at a breakfast co-hosted by DuPont and CAST as a side event at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 16, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. Simmons is laying down a challenge in his reception speech: “Food security is solvable. Unlike many of our world’s challenges, there are clear solutions. There is a window of opportunity to meet the challenge. We have enough time if we act now.” For more information on Simmons’ challenge, visit www.sensibletable.com.

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has announced that the prestigious 2012 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Dr. Carl Winter, the Director of the FoodSafe Program and Extension Food Toxicologist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California–Davis. His research and outreach work focus on pesticide residues and naturally occurring toxins in foods, food chemical and microbiological risk assessment, and food safety education using music. Winter earned his B.S. in environmental toxicology and his Ph.D. in agricultural and environmental chemistry, both from the University of California–Davis.

Established in 1986 by CAST, the annual award goes to a specialist who communicates the importance of food and agricultural science to the public, policymakers, and the news media. Winter’s noted ability to communicate credible scientific information has made him a respected expert in his field and a popular speaker at agriculture and science events. The author of two books and more than 100 publications in both scientific and lay literature, Winter also serves on a variety of committees, teaches courses on communication skills to graduate students, and knows how to use humor and music to communicate important messages about agriculture. He gives 40–50 news media interviews a year and has frequently been invited to testify before the U.S. Congress on pesticide/food safety issues.

As an accomplished musician, Winter writes, records, produces, and performs musical parodies of contemporary popular music by modifying lyrics to make them appropriate to food safety issues such as bacterial contamination, irradiation, biotechnology, government regulation, and pesticides. He was awarded a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to study the effectiveness of incorporating music into existing food safety educational curricula and published three papers demonstrating the utility of music-based food safety education.

Winter, the “Elvis of E. coli,” has given nearly 200 live performances of his food safety music parodies at a wide variety of conferences, trade shows, and public gatherings in 39 states and Canada over the past several years. He has also distributed more than 30,000 of his audio CDs and animated music DVDs, while his food safety music website and YouTube page have attracted a total of nearly one million visitors.

A member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Advisory Committee, Winter has received the NSF International Food Safety Leadership Award for Education. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, was the Inaugural Keiser Distinguished Lecturer at Ohio Northern University, and is an alumnus of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows Program.

An award presentation occurred at a breakfast co-hosted by CropLife Foundation and CAST as a side event at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 17, 2012, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacies of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first president of CAST.

Update

Carl Winter spoke at the CAST breakfast event during the 2013 World Food Prize, and he recently delivered a Hayes and Phillips Lecture at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Winter, director of the UC Davis FoodSafe Program, conducts research and does outreach on pesticide residues and naturally-occurring toxins in foods, on risk assessment, and on risk communication. For the lay audience, Winter substitutes his food safety messages for lyrics in contemporary music. He has authored two books and more than 150 publications, given more than 1,000 news media interviews, and has testified on several occasions for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He currently is a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Advisory Committee.

Update

Catherine Bertini, professor of practice in public administration and international affairs, received the 2013 Woman Extraordinaire Award from the International Women Associates organization, a Chicago-area forum that connects women with diverse international backgrounds through programs offering education, support, and service. The annual award is given to a woman who has advanced international human rights. They recognize Bertini’s career achievements, including her service as executive director of the United Nations World Food Program from 1992 to 2002.

Ag/science expert has focused on humanitarian efforts and women’s issues

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) presented the prestigious 2011 Borlaug CAST Communication Award to Catherine Bertini, a distinguished leader who has communicated the importance of agriculture and science through the many humanitarian programs she has organized in the United States and throughout the world.

Although she gained global recognition for her work with the United Nations, Bertini has been active on many fronts, and she is known for her efforts to improve the lives of needy families. She has taken leadership as a chief administrator, professor, committee chair, speechmaker, and advocate for the role women play in the world food distribution chain. The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Bertini joins a long list of influential dignitaries who have won a communication award from CAST.

Established in 1986 by CAST, the annual award goes to a specialist who communicates the importance of food and agricultural science to the public, policymakers, and the news media. Bertini has been influencing others for decades. After receiving a fellowship from Harvard in 1986, she worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and then as an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she eventually oversaw thirteen food assistance programs supporting America’s poorest families. She also worked on various policies that helped women and children.

Catherine Bertini’s career includes public service at all levels, and she was the driving force behind reform of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) from 1992 to 2002. Her management skills at the WFP earned her plenty of honors, but more importantly, her agency is credited with bettering the lives of millions who faced various humanitarian crises, both natural and man-made. She not only implemented program changes, she was willing to spend countless hours on the ground observing the crucial processes of food distribution. Bertini continues such efforts, and during the early months of 2011, she was in Tanzania and other countries, working with the Global Agricultural Development Initiative. As she points out, “There are almost a billion people, the vast majority in rural areas, who cannot survive if they are much poorer. Some don’t survive already.”

From Chicago to Kosovo and from Sudan to North Korea, Bertini’s work has had positive effects. She used her 2003 World Food Prize proceeds to start the Catherine Bertini Trust Fund for Girls’ Education at the Friends of the World Food Program, and she has been active with many other development programs including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Humanitarian Forum.

An award presentation occurred at a breakfast co-hosted by CropLife Foundation and CAST as a side event at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 12, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacies of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first president of CAST. Catherine Bertini continues the tradition of communicating the importance of science and agriculture in a world dependent on safe, affordable food. As she said, we must all “support the needs of poor farmers throughout the developing world.”

Update

June 2017 – Dr. Adesina named as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate.

Akinwumi Adesina is currently the President of the African Development Bank. He previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Until his appointment as Minister in 2010, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, was awarded the prestigious Forbes Africa Person of the Year for 2013.Adesina was nominated for his bold reforms in Nigeria’s agriculture sector. He has helped empower more than six million farmers across Nigeria to embrace agriculture as a business. A passionate defender of African farmers, Adesina is relentless in unlocking opportunities for farmers and changing Africa’s narrative on agriculture to wealth creation, away from poverty reduction.

Internationally acclaimed expert conveys his vision of world agriculture.

The prestigious 2010 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Dr. Akin Adesina, a distinguished scientist, leader, and communicator who has been working passionately for Africa’s Green Revolution. Dr. Adesina currently serves as a vice president for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), where he helps set policy and advises former U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan, the current Chairman of the Board of AGRA. A world-class scholar, Dr. Adesina influences policymakers with his informed speeches, published papers, and tireless leadership, but he is also known for his “common sense realism.” As he says, “Agriculture is the key to poverty reduction and broad-based economic growth in Africa.”

Dr. Adesina received the award during the CropLife America (CLA) 2010 Annual Meeting on September 25 in Naples, Florida. CAST President Dr. Todd Peterson presented the unique bronze statue to Dr. Adesina, who then spoke to the CLA audience and shared his thoughts on the importance of scientific research and communications in modern agriculture. Joining Dr. Adesina will be Julie Borlaug, granddaughter of Dr. Norman Borlaug and Assistant Director of Partnerships for the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacies of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Borlaug and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first president of CAST. These men embodied the passion for agricultural research and technology, as well as the dedication to communicating and sharing the accomplishments of agriculture, that the CAST award recognizes annually.

With a long list of accomplishments, Dr. Adesina exemplifies the spirit of the CAST award. He earned a Ph.D. in agricultural economics at Purdue University and has subsequently published scores of scientific papers, delivered numerous keynote addresses, and garnered several awards including the Yara Prize for a Green Revolution in Africa presented in Oslo, Norway. At the time, Dr. Adesina stated that “Africa needs a unique Green Revolution…one that takes into consideration Africa’s diversity.” He noted the continent’s varied crops, its biodiversity, its different conservation issues, and the fact that many of Africa’s farmers are women.

Dr. Adesina has also worked with the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He was described by his colleagues as a “driving force” behind the landmark Africa Fertilizer Summit, at which 40 heads of state agreed to solve Africa’s fertilizer crisis in the advancement toward an African Green Revolution. Dr. Adesina has repeatedly proved that he possesses the unique ability to “design, inspire, and galvanize support” for agricultural programs. He is passionate about communicating his ideas and solutions in an effort to help others.

This year’s award is sponsored by the CropLife Foundation, an organization dedicated to science-based research and discovery in modern agriculture. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in his or her area of expertise within the agricultural, environmental, or food sciences sectors, and they are recognized by their peers as individuals who communicate the importance of their scientific achievements to policymakers, the news media, and the public. Since 1986, CAST has honored 23 outstanding scientists.