The World Food Prize Foundation's mission is to elevate innovations and inspire action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all. More at www.worldfoodprize.org
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Apoorva Oza and Didier Van Bignoot of the Aga Khan Foundation about how food security today requires a wider lens, from climate pressures and economic opportunity to community resilience and sustainable development. The conversation explores the importance of locally led solutions to food insecurity and climate challenges. It highlights how the Aga Khan Foundation’s integrated work across agriculture, climate resilience, education, health and enterprise reflects a systems-based approach to development. The discussion draws on lessons from diverse regions across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and considers how climate change is reshaping rural livelihoods. Finally, it underscores the importance of investing in people—through skills, entrepreneurship and local institutions—as the foundation of long-term resilience.
Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, speaks about the future of global food systems and the role of science and innovation in addressing hunger, climate change and nutrition challenges.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, about the future of global food systems and the role of science and innovation in addressing hunger, climate change and nutrition challenges. Dr. Elouafi discusses the importance of crop diversification, climate-resilient agriculture and the use of underutilized crops to strengthen food security in vulnerable regions. The conversation also explores how research partnerships, emerging technologies and inclusive approaches can help transform food, land and water systems around the world. Throughout the episode, Dr. Elouafi highlights the importance of collaboration among scientists, policymakers and global institutions to scale sustainable solutions and improve livelihoods—reflecting the World Food Prize Foundation’s mission to elevate innovation and inspire action to sustainably increase food and nutrition security worldwide.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Chris Nelson, President and CEO of Kemin Industries, about the company’s evolution into a global ingredients manufacturer operating in more than 90 countries. Nelson discusses how science-driven leadership, innovation and company culture have guided Kemin’s work in improving the quality of life for more than a billion people each day through advancements in food, nutrition, health and agriculture. The conversation highlights Kemin’s role in supporting food quality, safety and sustainability across the global food system, and the importance of STEM education and scientific collaboration in shaping the future of agriculture and nutrition. Together, the discussion highlights how research, innovation and long-term investment can help strengthen food systems and improve quality of life around the world.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Dr. Michael Kremer discusses how advances in digital technology and other innovations are reshaping approaches to global agricultural and development challenges. The conversation focuses on the broader opportunity to move effective solutions from isolated successful trials to systems that can operate at national and global scale, improving outcomes for farmers and communities. It also highlights the importance of building the institutional, financial and policy frameworks needed to support large-scale adoption of proven innovations. Dr. Kremer reflects on AIM for Scale’s role in advancing this agenda by connecting evidence, financing and delivery systems, and underscores the broader need for coordinated action across sectors to strengthen resilience and long-term development outcomes.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue the Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Mary Sellers, President of United Way of Central Iowa. Mary shares why food insecurity is a symptom of broader challenges such as poverty, housing, and transportation, and how data-driven solutions and community navigators are helping connect people with essential resources. She also explains why Central Iowa's unique spirit of collaboration has made it the nation's leading United Way in per-capita giving.
A visit to the food pantry can be the first step toward something more. 🍎 On Dialogue That Feeds the World, Mary Sellers, President of United Way of Central Iowa, explains how community navigators connect families with resources beyond food assistance. 🎧 WATCH NOW
What does it take to create lasting change in a community?🫂 On the latest episode of Dialogue That Feeds the World, Mary Sellers, President of United Way of Central Iowa, shares how data and research help guide funding decisions to support programs that make an impact. From graduation rates to long-term success, every decision is focused on helping communities. 🎧 WATCH NOW
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Jeremy Gosch, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Hy-Vee, Inc., about the company’s role as one of the largest privately owned retailers in the United States and its impact across the Midwest through an integrated approach spanning retail, healthcare, supply chain and technology. Gosch discusses how leadership and culture drive Hy-Vee’s mission of making lives easier, healthier and happier, and how its three giving pillars—Health & Wellness, Food Security and Education & Economic Empowerment—guide annual giving to communities. Together, the conversation underscores Hy-Vee’s commitment to strengthening communities and aligns with the World Food Prize Foundation’s mission of advancing a more food and nutrition secure world.
Myron Stine, President of Stine Seed Co., speaks with Governor Vilsack on the newest episode of the Dialogue That Feeds the World podcast. Check out the full episode on the World Food Prize channel!
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Myron Stine, President of Stine Seed Company, about the critical role of agricultural innovation in strengthening food security in the United States and around the world. Myron shares how sustained investment in research—from advanced soybean breeding to high-performance corn—continues to push the boundaries of yield and resilience, and why pairing cutting-edge genetics with localized agronomic expertise is essential for helping farmers succeed in an increasingly unpredictable climate.
On the World Food Prize Podcast, Jeremy Gosch, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Hy-Vee, Inc., shares why rural communities remain at the heart of Hy-Vee's mission. He discusses the commitment to expanding access to fresh food and investing in small towns,
On the World Food Prize Podcast, Jeremy Gosch, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Hy-Vee, Inc., shares his vision for a future where no child has to learn hungry. In this clip, he discusses Hy-Vee's efforts to expand access to nutritious food and help ensure students have the support they need to learn, grow and succeed.
On the World Food Prize podcast, Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children, discusses why child hunger remains a global challenge despite the food, resources and knowledge available today. As part of a broader conversation on food security and helping children thrive.
On the World Food Prize podcast, Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children, shares why helping children is a mission that motivates her every day. She talks about seeing communities around the world come together to support their neighbors and care for their children, even in the most challenging situations.
On the World Food Prize podcast, Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children, explains Positive Deviance Intervention. It focuses on solutions that are already working within communities and how those ideas can be shared to help others facing similar challenges.
On the World Food Prize podcast, Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children, shares why investing in young children is one of the most important decisions leaders can make. From helping children survive and thrive in their earliest years to preparing them for lifelong success, she explains why putting children first creates lasting impact for communities around the world.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children US, about closing food security gaps in rural America and globally. Janti discusses community-led solutions that use local data and partnerships to identify and address food gaps, as well as child hunger advocacy in the U.S. through the Save the Children Action Network and policy efforts. Global food and nutrition security challenges are also addressed, emphasizing ongoing efforts to scale support. The conversation illustrates how collaboration among organizations and food systems leaders can create sustainable solutions to help every child thrive-precisely the kind of collaboration championed by the World Food Prize Foundation, which works to elevate innovation and inspire action to sustainably further food and nutrition security.
On the World Food Prize Podcast, Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, explains what gets him up in the morning, from a broader conversation on how bold ideas and innovative approaches can drive meaningful change in a complex, interconnected world.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast: Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack sits down with Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, to explore how bold ideas and innovative approaches can drive meaningful change in a complex, interconnected world. They discuss the ways innovation, collaboration and long-term vision can shape communities and food systems while responding to global challenges like climate change and food and nutrition insecurity, providing examples of initiatives driven by the Rockefeller Foundation. Through stories from his decades leading initiatives in global development and public health, Dr. Shah reflects on the risks, opportunities and thoughtful strategies that make lasting impact possible, offering a window into what it takes to create solutions that endure.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Dialogue That Feeds the World, Tom Vilsack speaks with Ndidi Nwuneli, President and CEO of the ONE Campaign, about how data-driven advocacy builds public support and political will for policies that strengthen health systems and expand economic opportunity across Africa. They discuss how grassroots advocates mobilize to influence decision-makers and ensure commitments translate into measurable impact, as well as how Africa can be a central partner in shaping global development agendas and investment priorities. --- Spring Gala Tickets and Information: www.worldfoodprize.org/gala --- The World Food Prize Podcast is presented by The Wellmark Foundation, whose mission is to improve the health of all Iowans and South Dakotans. By supporting conversations on food and nutrition, The Wellmark Foundation is advancing the role access to nutritious food plays in long, healthy lives and in building a food- and nutrition-secure future for all.
On the World Food Prize Podcast, Rikin Gandhi, Co-founder and CEO of Digital Green, discussing an app they developed called FarmerChat, a conversational, AI-based agricultural companion designed for smallholder farmers, with over 830,000 users.
On this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, host Tom Vilsack sits down with Rikin Gandhi, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Green, for an insightful conversation at the intersection of artificial intelligence, agriculture and global food and nutrition security. They explore Gandhi’s journey from engineer to founder and his mission to apply technology in service of smallholder farmers. The discussion highlights how FarmerChat transforms research, extension knowledge and data into real-time, localized guidance on crops, livestock, inputs and climate risk for more than one million farmers across Asia, Africa and Latin America. The conversation also examines how AI can benefit public extension systems, increase farmer agency and scale responsibly while maintaining trust and accessibility. Listeners gain insight into how partnerships among governments, researchers and industry-combined with data-driven, farmer-centered innovation-can build climate resilience and advance food and nutrition security worldwide.
On this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, host Tom Vilsack sits down with Fred P. Hochberg, Board Chair of Meridian International Center Board of Trustees and former Chairman and President of the Export–Import Bank of the United States, for a wide-ranging conversation on trade and global food and nutrition security.
The World Food Prize Foundation will announce the 2026 World Food Prize Laureate on March 25 at the Council on Foreign Relations headquarters in New York City. Watch live on worldfoodprize.org,
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Tom Vilsack speaks with Billy Shore, founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, about the progress - and the work still ahead - in the fight to end childhood hunger in the United States. Shore discusses the impact of the No Kid Hungry campaign, the importance of meeting families where they are and the value of smart policy and collaboration. Together, they reflect on what food and nutrition security work has taught them and how strong partnerships turn ideas into impact. The conversation offers practical insight and inspiration for anyone committed to helping ensure every child and family has access to nutritious food.
Amb. Michael Froman from the Council on Foreign Relations speaks on the feedback loop of food insecurity happening because of conflict, and conflict occurring because of food insecurity.
Howard W. Buffett, Chair of the Advisory Board for Holganix, discusses the threat to soil fertility he sees during an interview on the World Food Prize Podcast.
CEO of Holganix Barrett Ersek explains the advantages of using Holganix on the World Food Prize Podcast.
The World Food Prize Foundation wants to elevate innovation that increasing the quantity, quality and availability of food for all.
Barrett Ersek, CEO of agritech company Holganix, explains on the World Food Prize Podcast that soil is like the stomach of the plant, and you cannot have healthy plants without healthy soils.
The World Food Prize Podcast had Howard W. Buffett on its program as a part of the advisory board for Holganix. Here he explains how farmers are our heroes. Please like and subscribe!
Barrett Ersek explains Holganix's vision and how to get other's aligned to get in the flow.
In this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, Tom Vilsack speaks with Ambassador Michael Froman, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, about the evolving global landscape shaping food and nutrition security. Their conversation highlights the powerful connection between food and nutrition insecurity and conflict, underscoring how protecting access to food can strengthen communities and serve as a form of soft power that lowers the risk of conflict. The episode also explores how positioning food assistance within broader defense and development strategies can help prevent crises and support long-term global stability.
Howard W. Buffett, Chair of the Holganix Advisory Board and recent guest on the World Food Prize Podcast, shares a lesson he has learned from his grandfather Warren: that leaders surround themselves with people who will push them to do better and to be better.
On this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, host Tom Vilsack sits down with Howard W. Buffett, chair of the Advisory Board at Holganix, and Barrett Ersek, founder and CEO of Holganix, to discuss the role of science and cross-sector collaboration in strengthening global food systems. Drawing on boots-on-the-ground work with farmers at Holganix, the discussion examines how rejuvenating degraded soils can boost yields, reduce fertilizer use and improve water-holding capacity. Listeners gain insight into the economic, environmental and conservation benefits of soil health innovation, and the ways this innovation can boost food and nutrition security.
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot from Feeding America explains how hungry permeates through every county in America and what we can do to combat it.
On this episode of the World Food Prize Podcast, host Tom Vilsack sits down with Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, to explore innovative strategies for combating hunger in the United States and beyond. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of leading the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, highlighting practical solutions and real-world impact in the fight for food and nutrition security. Listeners will gain insight into why food insecurity matters to all of us - and how we can make a difference. The World Food Prize Podcast is presented by The Wellmark Foundation, whose mission is to improve the health of all Iowans and South Dakotans. By supporting conversations on food and nutrition, The Wellmark Foundation is advancing the role access to nutritious food plays in long, healthy lives and in building a food- and nutrition-secure future for all.
The World Food Prize Podcast is the official podcast of the World Food Prize Foundation, launched in 2026—the 40th Anniversary of the Prize. Hosted by Foundation CEO Tom Vilsack, the podcast builds on the enduring legacy of World Food Prize Founder Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, advancing the idea that food and nutrition security is a fundamental human right that transcends politics, geography and ideology. Twice each month, Vilsack sits down with leaders from across the global food system—including scientists, farmers, policymakers, youth advocates, World Food Prize Laureates and global changemakers—to explore practical, forward-looking solutions for nourishing a growing world. Through in-depth conversations, this podcast aims to raise awareness about the global issue of hunger, educate listeners about the work of the World Food Prize Foundation and elevate the solution-oriented voices of those driving real-world impact. Each episode offers insight, perspective and inspiration—uniting diverse viewpoints around a shared goal: advancing a food and nutrition-secure future for everyone, everywhere. Learn more and listen to the audio version of the podcast here: www.worldfoodprize.org/podcast
