Congratulations to Dr. Rattan Lal on being awarded the 2020 World Food Prize! He will be recognized for his work promoting climate-resilient agriculture through sustainable soil management in the tropics. Lal’s work has spanned five decades and four continents, and has improved the livelihoods of more than two billion people globally.
Dr. Lal grew up on a small farm in India and went on to become a Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at Ohio State University. Dr. Lal has heightened global awareness around the importance of soil health and the profound impact that it has not only on agricultural yields, but also for climate change adaptation and mitigation as well as global food security.
He founded and leads the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, where he has mentored 375 PhD and postdoctoral students, inspiring them to become soil ambassadors to address global issues.
Dr. Rattan Lal will be awarded the 2020 World Food Prize this October in Des Moines, Iowa, for his improvement of global awareness of sustainable soil management. Dr. Lal’s tireless efforts to promote soil-saving techniques have extended the Green Revolution and the vision of Dr. Norman Borlaug Dr. Rattan Lal will be honored for his revolutionary work promoting soil health. Dr. Lal’s pioneering research is now at the heart of efforts to improve agriculture systems globally. #FoodPrize20
On June 11, 2020, the Laureate was announced online by Ms. Barbara Stinson, President of the World Food Prize. This online format allowed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feature a Digital Dialog, a fireside chat, between Dr. Lal and Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, Chair, World Food Prize Laureate Selection Committee and the 2009 World Food Prize Laureate.
Click here to learn more at the World Food Prize Foundation!