Eminent Indian-American scientist “Rattan Lal” wins prestigious “World Food Prize – 2020”

Soil centric approach to increase food production that restores and conserves naturalresources

• Indian American soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal has won the prestigious World Food
  Prize – 2020
• World Food Prize is considered to be equivalent to a Nobel Prize in the field of
  agriculture
• The award recognized his contribution to increasing the global food supply by
  helping small farmers improve the health of the soil

Key highlights of Rattan Lal’s Laureate

• Rattan Lal was named as the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate for developing and
  mainstreaming a soil-centric approach
• It is to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates
  climate change
• Dr Lal’s research in soil science shows that the solution to more productively and
  efficiency problem is right under our feet
• It helps the earth’s estimated 500 million small farmers be faithful stewards of
  their land though improved management
• It also helps for less soil degradation, and the recycling of nutrients
• The billions of people who depend on these farms stand to benefit greatly from his
  work
• It contribution to soil conservation also increased the global food supply by helping
  small farmers improve their soil’s health

Who is Dr. Rattan Lal?

• A native of India and citizen of the United States, Lal has in his career of over 50
  years
• Across four continents promoted innovative soil-saving techniques that benefited
  the livelihoods of more than 500 million smallholder farmers
• Improved the food and nutritional security of more than two billion people and
  saved hundreds of millions of hectares of natural tropical ecosystems
• His inventions were aimed to improve the food and nutritional security of more
  than two billion people and saving hundreds of millions of hectares of natural tropical
  ecosystems
• He is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and
  Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University
• The scientific innovations, like those developed by Lal, embody the US Department
  of Agriculture’s motto of ‘to do right and feed everyone
• The agricultural practices Lal developed and advocated for are now at the heart of
  efforts to improve agricultural systems

What is “World Food Prize”?

• World Food Prize was first awarded in 1987
• The award is presented by the World Food Prize Foundation, with various sponsor
  companies
• The award recognizes contributions that are made in the various field involved in
  the world food supply including Animal Science or Aqua Culture, Food Technology or
  Food Safety, Nutrition or Health, Plant Science or Seed Science, Plant Pathology or
  Crop Protection, Soil Science or Water or Conservation, Policy or Research or
  Extension, Infrastructure or Emergency Relief, and Poverty and Hunger Alleviation
• The first awardee of the award is an Indian agricultural scientist Dr. M S
  Swaminathan, who is the father of the Green Revolution in India

Pic courtesy : nationalherald.com