Nomination Form Nomination Criteria Nomination Documentation
To be considered, nominations and all seconding and supporting documents must be submitted by May 1 of the year for which they are to be considered. Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
The World Food Prize Secretariat assists the Selection Committee by reviewing all nominations for appropriateness and completeness and then forwarding them to the Selection Committee.
The Selection Committee then reviews the nominations and recommends the recipient and first alternate it deems most worthy for the award based on the Prize criteria. Recommendations are forwarded through the President of the Foundation to the Foundation’s Chairman of the Board of Directors and Council of Advisors for final approval.
The Selection Committee is composed of a panel of distinguished individuals who are knowledgeable about various aspects of plant science, agricultural production, agricultural policy, nutrition, food processing, food distribution, water and the environment.
Members of the Selection Committee remain anonymous except for the Chairman, Dr. Gebisa Ejeta. The minutes of the Committee's meeting and the views expressed by its members are not made public.
The President of the Foundation serves as an ex-officio, non-voting advisor to the Selection Committee, but does not participate in nor influence the deliberations regarding the selection of the Laureate.
Factors Considered by the Selection Committee in Choosing a Laureate
The Selection Committee will consider the number of people affected by the nominee's achievement as well as the extent of the change they experienced as substantial factors in evaluating the relative significance of the various individual achievements being considered.
Substantial weight will also be given to the complexity of the problem and the degree of difficulty involved in achieving success. Similarly, consideration will be given to the degree of ingenuity and determination of the nominee in attaining this change or advancement.
If the Selection Committee judges that the accomplishment was simultaneously attained by two or more individuals working separately, the Selection Committee may recommend that the Prize be shared.
In exceptional circumstances, the Selection Committee may also decide to recognize two or more individuals in the same year for: their separate, independent accomplishments in a common area of specialization; or their work in different areas of expertise, which contributed to a significant positive impact in a common country or geographic area, or in a common cause.
It is intended that all elements of the food system be recognized at some point in the awarding of the Prize. In weighing the merits of nominations, consideration may be given to attaining a balance among all segments of the food system in the selection of the Laureate.
The Prize recognizes achievements made by individuals working in every part of the world, representing the diversity of the global food and nutrition security community. The Prize aims to give due recognition to individuals of diverse geographic areas, as well as gender, age, race and ethnicity.
The Selection Committee especially welcomes the nominations of individuals who have worked across political boundaries to feed hungry people in a way that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict, which would emulate Dr. Borlaug’s accomplishments in spreading the Green Revolution for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize.