Leader of food security nonprofits to head World Food Prize

foundation that awards World Food Prize to individuals who work to improve food security in hopes of ending world hunger anunced Tuesday that its new president will be a woman who has led nprofit organizations focused on global food security, food safety and impact of climate change on agricultural productivity.

Barbara Stinson will succeed Kenneth Quinn, former U.S. ambassor to Cambodia whose 20-year presidency of World Food Prize Foundation established an international presence for organization.

foundation attracts 1,200 world leers from 65 countries to annual award ceremony and symposium to dress issues related to global food security and nutrition.

Stinson said her goal is to focus on platform alrey established over foundation’s three-dece history and expand on its work with goal of furr alleviating hunger in most vulnerable parts of world.

“You can see in various parts of world reductions in hunger by official measures and statistics and it’s great to see but we still face over 800 million people hungry every day. So, challenge is global and it’s more prounced on certain continents. In absolute numbers in Asia and in Africa by prevalence more people go to bed hungry per capita than on any continent in world so re is still so much work to be done,” she said.

Quinn, who became organization’s first president in 1999, anunced his retirement in March.

Plant scientist rman Borlaug, 1970 recipient of bel Peace Prize, created World Food Prize in 1986 to recognize scientists and ors who have improved quality and availability of food.

award carries a $250,000 prize. recipient is anunced in spring, usually at U.S. State Department, and award is delivered at an annual ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa, where foundation is based.

organization was initially funded by John Ruan, an Iowa entrepreneur who founded a diverse business enterprise that included transportation, commercial banking, financial services, international tring and real estate development. His son John Ruan III continues to serve as chairman of foundation, which currently is funded by about 80 corporate, private and government dors including agriculture chemical companies Corteva Agriscience and Bayer CropScience.

This corporate sponsorship has brought criticism from some including Iowa-based Occupy World Food Prize organization, which has accused corporate sponsors of being biotech, seed-and-chemical mopolists that promote opposite of sustainability.

group protests at ceremony held at Iowa Capitol each year, events which have led to protester arrests.

Stinson, who w lives in Denver, will relocate to Des Moines as she assumes leership at World Food Prize hequarters beginning Jan. 4.