Indian Descent Dr.Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, a native of Trinidad and Tobago and a citizen of Denmark, won the 2021 World Food Prize for her research, insights and innovations in developing holistic, nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquaculture and food systems.She becomes the first woman of Asian heritage to receive this award.
- World Food Prize Foundation instituted the World Food Prize Award.
- She was born in 1949 on the Caribbean island of Trinidad.
- The award carries a cash prize of 250,000 USD (around Rs 1.8 crore).
- The award was announced by Barbara Stinson, President of the World Food Prize Foundation.
About Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted:
i.Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted has brought together the interdisciplinary and international collaborators and drove transformations in aquatic food systems to provide nutrition, a resilient ecosystem and secure livelihood for vulnerable people across the world.
ii.She is currently serving as the Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health at WorldFish, a global CGIAR (formerly Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) research center headquartered in Malaysia
iii.She was the first to establish that the commonly consumed small fishes were an important source of micronutrients and fatty acids.
About World Food Prize:
i.The World Food Prize which is also known as the “Nobel Prize in the field of Agriculture” or “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture”.
ii.The award is annually presented to recognise the achievement of an individual that advances human development with increased quality, quantity, availability or access to food through innovative interventions within the scope of the food system.
iii.The World Food Prize was created in 1986 with sponsorship by General Foods Corporation.
Note:
Indian-American Soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal was the winner of the 2020 World Food Prize.
About World Food Prize Foundation:
President – Ms. Barbara Stinson
Headquarters– Des Moines, Lowa, United States of America
