Bram Govaerts, winner of the 2014 World Food Prize, will present Central College’s annual World Food Prize Lecture from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The free event will be virtual and available via Zoom.

The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing individuals who have increased the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

Govaerts currently serves as associate director of the Global Conservation Agricultural Program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. In developing his vision to help poor farmers increase food production from their existing farmland, Govaerts was instrumental in framing the Mexican government’s major initiative known as the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture.

In June 2014, Govaerts assumed leadership of the entire program with responsibility for coordinating the evolution of related projects in Latin America. His main project focuses on integrating technological innovation into small-scale farming systems for maize and wheat crops, while minimizing detrimental impacts on the environment.

Govaerts holds a Ph.D. in bioscience engineering-soil science, a master’s degree in soil conservation and tropical agriculture, and a bachelor’s degree in bioscience engineering, all from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.