Dr. Norman Borlaug believed investments into Africa would be key in ending global hunger and today the momentum he envisioned is becoming a reality. Paul Schickler, World Food Prize Foundation Chair and Owner of 3rd Ag, highlights DialogueNEXT Africa and shares the exciting momentum.
Africa’s land is an incredible agriculture gem. It’s for this reason Shickler and the World Food Prize Foundation team believe the most important food security innovations will come from the next generation of Africans. DialogueNEXT Africa seeks not just to help alleviate world hunger, but take a “teach a man to fish” approach by empowering locals in every community.
The World Food Prize Foundation is expanding its reach beyond its annual October laureate award ceremony in Des Moines through “Dialogue Next,” an initiative designed to foster year-round global discussions on agricultural productivity. Paul Schickler, the foundation’s chair and former president of DuPont Pioneer, explained that the initiative aims to maintain momentum on critical food issues. “One of the things over the last number of years that we at the World Food Prize wanted to do is move… the dialogue next from a one time per year event to something that occurs regularly through the year so that we keep those issues… in front of people year-round,” Schickler stated. After successful iterations in Washington, D.C., India, and Mexico, the program is heading to Nairobi, Kenya on June 30th.
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The Critical Role of Africa and Youth Innovation
The move to Africa mirrors the historical path of Dr. Norman Borlaug, who recognized the continent’s immense agricultural resources alongside its structural challenges. Addressing Africa’s rapid demographic shift is central to the foundation’s current mission. Schickler highlighted the shifting global landscape, noting, “Today, if you look at a list of the most populous cities in the world, there will be five cities on the continent of… Africa on that list of the 50 most populous cities in the world”. By 2050, that number is projected to rise to 12, creating an urgent need to feed a rapidly growing middle class whose dietary demands are shifting toward dairy and protein.
To counter these challenges, the foundation focuses heavily on youth engagement through programs like the Youth Institutes and the “Innovate for Impact” competition. This year, the startup competition received over 1,500 applications, a vast number of which originated from African agricultural technology entrepreneurs. Emphasizing Borlaug’s philosophy, Schickler urged, “Take it to the youth… educate them, take the message to the youth, get them engaged, get them excited, and see what the opportunities are, not only to make a career, but to make a difference”.