On April 9, UW-Madison hosted the 4th Annual Wisconsin Youth Institute of the World Food Prize and had 29 high school students from all over Wisconsin and Chicago in attendance. The goal of the institute is to help students to gain a broader knowledge of issues that impact world hunger and food security for our population. Staff, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students throughout campus supported the event.

The World Food Prize was founded by Norman Borlaug and is an international honor that recognizes “the achievement of those who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or development of food”. The mission of the World Food Prize is to not only call attention to what has been done to improve global food security but also shine a light on what we can accomplish in the future.

Prior to attending the institute, high school students worked closely with their teachers to conduct research and write their research paper on a global challenge in a developing country, analyze its impact on food security, and propose solutions based on the country’s unique situations. The 20 global challenge topics that students can choose to focus on. Some of these include renewable energy, climate volatility, water and sanitation, populations, conflict, education, foreign aid, international trade, and infectious diseases.

Top students from each state institute have the opportunity to attend the Global Youth Institute held in Des Moines, IA in October. You can learn more about the World Food Prize here: https://www.worldfoodprize.org/