WORLD FOOD PRIZE 2024 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue Keynote Address: From Genetics to the Generation: What Does the Future Hold for Agrifood Systems and Food Culture

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Ambassador Terry Branstad, President of the World Food Prize Foundation

Dear Colleagues and Friends,  

First, I wish to start by conveying my heartfelt congratulations to Dr Cary Fowler and Dr Geoffrey Hawtin for your great contribution to genetic resources (gene bank and biodiversity conservation), and former employees for FAO!  We are so proud that both of you are winners of the 2024 World Food Prize!

It is a great honour for me to stand here today in Iowa, it is the heartland of the United States for agriculture and its food system, to commemorate Dr Norman Borlaug again. As a fellow breeding scientist, I feel a deep personal connection to Dr. Borlaug’s legacy. His work speaks to the core of who we are, to those of us who understand the language of the land, genetics and breeding generations. Those of us who know that the soil beneath our feet carries the hopes of future harvests with new genetic improvement.

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to the organizers of this important event and express my sincere gratitude to the Norman E. Borlaug family and followers. Your dedication ensures that his legacy continues to inspire across continents and generations.

His work brought hope to many countries, touched communities, and created harmonies that resonate through the generations. Today, we gather not only to honor his memory but also to continue the mission he began—to fight against hunger, nourish the land, and build a better future for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we stand at the dawn of a new era. The challenges we face now – the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and rising food insecurity - demand solutions that push the boundaries of science and innovation. This is where the genetic revolution comes in.  

The genetic revolution goes beyond increasing yields - it focuses on exploring the solutions to biotic and abiotic resistance and safeguarding vital genomic diversity which are fundamental to food diversity.

Protecting genetic biodiversity is key to building resilient agrifood systems. By leveraging modern technology to enhance crop diversity, we preserve essential biodiversity and enjoy food diversity.

Advances in genetics improve effectiveness in developing new crops. Gene-editing technology accelerates the breeding process significantly. It’s faster than traditional breeding methods. It improves resistance to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. This includes tolerance to high temperatures, droughts, floods, and salinity, among others.

These advancements in gene editing might do more than just improve crop yields; they could also bring people and cultures closer together.

By preserving and enhancing the unique traits of local and indigenous foods, gene editing can help protect our diverse food heritage. These innovations ensure that traditional crops, long embedded in local food cultures, can thrive in a changing, stressed world.

Gene editing, in this way, becomes a bridge between the past and the future, connecting food cultures and fostering shared resilience in the face of global challenges.

Ethical concerns and regulation will play a critical role in managing gene-editing technology. If these concerns are addressed adequately through wide consultation and participation, these new genomic techniques could contribute to the much-needed transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.

One of the greatest examples of breeding in the past was the development of semi-dwarf wheat varieties and dwarf rice varieties, pioneered in the 1960s during the Green Revolution. These high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties, developed through selective breeding, transformed agrifood systems and saved billions from hunger.

The legacy of Dr. Borlaug’s work in Mexico, Pakistan, and India, along with great achievements of Professor Yuan Longping on hybrid rice in China and beyond, and Dr Swaminathan on wheat and rice in India, continues to inspire us today. These same principles of genetic improvement and genetic diversity continue to drive innovations in agrifood systems.

At FAO, we are committed to promoting the conservation of genetic resources and their sustainable use. We are also providing a platform through the Science and Innovation Forum under the annual World Food Forum - which was held successfully for the fourth consecutive year a few weeks ago - for our Members and partners to discuss the benefits and risks of all cutting-edge technologies.

By harnessing these innovations, we ensure crops, livestock, and fish diversity, and thus food diversity, while addressing the global challenges of climate change, food security, and environment.

Not only are traditional agricultural practices a reservoir for genetic diversity, but they are also a window to our own humanity. These practices tell us a great deal about the people we are working with - both in terms of opportunities for change and barriers to the uptake of innovations. Traditional practices are rooted in culture, and they contribute strongly to the social norms that drive many of our decisions and actions as social beings.

The more we know about traditional knowledge, the better we can understand how new practices might be perceived. By using behavioral science, we can gain insights into where community goals align with innovations. Working with partners, we can collaboratively introduce new practices in ways that minimize not only trade-offs, but also social and behavioral frictions.

At FAO, we also believe in the power of foresight - not just as a tool for data analysis, but as a bridge to the unknown. We connect the dots where data and history fail, using the collective intelligence of scientists, experts, and partners to envision a future that is both challenging and promising. Foresight allows us to anticipate future problems and work collaboratively to find solutions, ensuring that agriculture is prepared for the changing global landscape.

Beyond technology, we must also invest in human and social capital. We must cultivate a culture of anticipatory thinking and strategical design among scientists, policymakers, investors and farmers (producers).

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Earlier this month, on World Food Day, we launched the 80 -1 year-long countdown to FAO’s 80th anniversary in 2025. This initiative aims to inspire action and celebrate the milestones achieved in improving global food security over the past eight decades. But as we reflect on the past, we must also look to the future.

Next year, I sincerely invite Ambassador Branstad and other colleagues to join us on 16 October 2025, when we will mark this milestone by inaugurating the FAO Food and Agriculture Museum & Network. Supported by Italian government, and with the personal participation of the President of Italy, this Museum will be an interactive and digital space for students, families, and visitors from all over the world and digitally connecting with all consumers. It will bridge global food technologies and cultures, showcasing the rich traditions and innovative approaches that have shaped the story of agrifood systems over time.

The Food and Agriculture Museum & Network will also embody FAO’s aspiration of the Four Betters - better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind – which are embedded in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 to guide our work over the next decade.

It will be a space for knowledge sharing, culinary traditions, and a deeper understanding of how innovations, such as gene editing, can support food diversity and sustainability while respecting cultural heritage. And the Network will serve as a global hub for collaboration and dialogue among FAO Members and partners, fostering partnerships across regions, nations, locals, villages and indigenous communities.

Members and partners will have an innovative platform to showcase their local food cultures and agricultural innovations, reinforcing FAO’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity from rural communities to urban centers. By connecting best practices, the Museum and Network will demonstrate how agrifood systems can drive sustainable development and combat hunger worldwide through FAO’s Four Betters.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The future of agrifood systems and rural development depends on all of us. The seeds we plant today will shape the world of tomorrow. By working together, fostering innovation, and honouring cultural heritage, we can create a better future for all, everyone and everywhere. Science and innovation must be developed together and shared by all.

Let us continue to sow the seeds of hope and passion, as Norman Borlaug once did. Together, we can cultivate a future where it is better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, and cultural heritage inter-linked, ensuring better genetic engineering for generations to come.

Thank you.