Will carry a cash reward of $1,00,000

Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan will receive the first World Agriculture Prize instituted by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) in New Delhi on Friday.

The prize will be presented by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu at Vigyan Bhawan at a special session, named Swaminathan Global Dialogue on Climate Change and Food Security organised by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture, said a press release here.

Recognised worldwide for his basic and applied research in genetics, cytogenetics, radiation and chemical mutagenesis, food and biodiversity conservation, Prof. Swaminathan has been hailed by the United Nations Environment Programme as ‘The Father of Economic Ecology’ owing to his commitment towards the ever-green revolution movement in agriculture.

The prize has been instituted by the ICFA with an aim to recognise individuals who have served humanity through agriculture. It will carry a cash component of $1,00,000. It will be an annual prize and would be presented to any individual or institution, importantly from Asian, African or Latin American countries who have played a seminal role in transforming agriculture globally and saving humanity from the curse of hunger, the release said.