BRAC Founder and Chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has been honoured as the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate for his outstanding contribution to helping boost world's food production and distribute to those most in need. The highly prestigious award was conferred on him at a function held at the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines, Iowa, the USA on Friday, a BRAC press release said. Chairman of The World Food Prize John Ruan III handed over the award to Abed at the event of a three-day international symposium. This prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture, carries a cash award of 250,000 US dollars. Receiving the award Abed said, "I must acknowledge that the award does not belong to me alone, it is the recognition of BRAC's work over the last 43 years in providing pathways out of poverty for millions of people in Bangladesh and other countries in Africa and Asia." He also said: "The real heroes in our story are the poor themselves and, in particular, women struggling with poverty who overcome enormous challenges each day of their lives. Throughout our work across the world, we have learnt that countries and culture vary; but realities, struggles, aspirations and dreams of poor and marginalised people are remarkably similar. Only by putting the poor especially women in charge of their own lives and destinies will poverty and deprivation can be removed from the face of the earth." Guests and dignitaries present at the ceremony included US secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack, president of World Food Prize Foundation Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, president of Iowa senate Pam Jochum, speaker of Iowa house Linda Upmeyer.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
