Geoffrey Hawtin, former Chairman of the Board of CATIE, receives the 2024 World Food Prize

• The recognition of Dr. Hawtin underscores his commitment and exceptional contribution to global food security

Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin, who served as both a member and chairman of the CATIE Board of Directors from 2005 to 2012, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 World Food Prize.

This esteemed international award celebrates individual achievements that have propelled human development forward by enhancing the quality, quantity, and global accessibility of food. Widely revered as the "Nobel Prize of Food and Agriculture," the World Food Prize recognizes the profound contributions of its recipients to global food security.

Dr. Hawtin, alongside Dr. Cary Fowler, has been acknowledged as a recipient of the 2024 World Food Prize for their significant contributions to ensuring global food security.

Both scientists played pivotal roles in establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, an underground facility nestled within the Arctic Circle, which safeguards over 1.25 million seed samples representing more than 6,000 plant species.

Furthermore, Dr. Hawtin played a crucial role in founding the Global Crop Diversity Trust, an international organization that, in collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, NordGen, provides financial support for the seed vault.

"The contributions of Dr. Hawtin have been invaluable to the global efforts of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and his leadership in shaping the future of this international organization is paramount," remarked Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, in a recent press release.

"The Svalbard Global Seed Vault not only serves as an emblem but also as the cornerstone of an expanding global network of gene banks, and Dr. Hawtin has played a crucial role in ensuring that all these institutions have a fail-safe in the vault in Svalbard."

Gene banks, including the Svalbard Vault, are indispensable resources for agricultural scientists who strive to develop improved varieties of the world's most vital food crops. The genetic material preserved within these banks holds the potential to bolster crop resilience in the face of climate change, enhance disease resistance, and improve nutritional quality.

The acknowledgment of Dr. Hawtin with the World Food Prize underscores his extraordinary dedication and contributions to global food security, serving as a source of pride for CATIE and the broader international scientific community devoted to agriculture and food.

The General Director of CATIE, Luis Pocasangre, said that it is a great honor for CATIE to have a former Chairman of the Board distinguished by this prestigious recognition.

"I was fortunate and honored to work at IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute of CGIAR) during Dr. Hawtin's tenure as Director General. Well-deserved recognition for someone who has dedicated their entire life to conservation. Congratulations and long life to Dr. Hawtin," he expressed.