The director of Iowa State University’s Seed Science Center was recently honored by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture. Manjit Misra, who also is a professor of ag and biosystems engineering, was presented the Global Agriculture Academic Leadership Award Sept. 5 during the 10th annual Global Agriculture Leadership Summit in New Delhi.

The Global Leadership Awards recognize individuals and institutions for leadership in advanced agriculture and are based on nominations of experts in the fields of policy, academic research, industry, environment, innovation, livelihood, entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, development and international leadership.

“This recognition means a great deal to me,” said Misra. “But it reflects not my accomplishments, but those of the Seed Science Center faculty and staff at Iowa State University. Through their hard work, our center has become a premier center of seed science and technology around the world. And I am extremely proud to be a part of that.”

Feeding the world, seeding the world
Established in 2008 under the chairmanship of M.S. Swaminathan, pioneer of India’s Green Revolution, the awards recognize leadership roles played by individuals and institutions that positively impact the lives of millions of rural smallholders around the world.

During the summit, an annual forum that focuses on issues of importance to India’s food and agriculture sector, Misra spoke on the importance of providing quality seed to small-holders around the world as a way to mitigate food and nutrition insecurity. The title of his address was “To feed the future, we must first seed the future.”

Another Iowan, Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation headquartered in Des Moines, was also honored at the event. Quinn received the International Leadership Award for his contributions to the global agriculture community over the years. In 1987, M.S. Swaminathan won the World Food Prize.

While in New Delhi, Quinn and Misra were also part of a delegation that visited India’s Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu. The group discussed global food security, farmer empowerment and other issues of importance to India’s agricultural sector.

The Seed Science Center is a center of excellence in seeds at Iowa State University. Its mission is to improve the production, quality assurance, marketing, utilization and regulatory environment of seed through research, testing, teaching, outreach and international programs.

Source: ISU