Takeaways
- UGA students built meaningful global connections during Borlaug Dialogue: CAES attendees engaged directly with international leaders — including Ghana’s minister of food and agriculture and World Food Prize Foundation leadership — gaining encouragement, mentorship and insight into global agricultural challenges.
- The event broadened academic and career perspectives: Sessions on soil health, women’s leadership, stability and food security, and multi-sector collaboration deepened the students’ understanding of the complex systems shaping global agriculture and informed their future research goals.
- CAES is expanding its role in global food security education: With increased student participation in the Borlaug Dialogue and plans to launch Georgia’s first World Food Prize Youth Institute, UGA is opening new pathways for students — from high school to graduate level — to engage in food security work.
Emmanuella Bredu, a doctoral student in the University of Georgia Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, attended the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, to learn about food security and agricultural solutions from leaders in the field. What she didn’t expect was an inspiring week of connecting with key figures in the agriculture sector from her home country of Ghana.
Bredu met and impressed Ghana’s minister of food and agriculture, the nation’s ambassador to the U.S., representatives from the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, and the former president of the African Development Bank. She also discussed the cultural dimensions of food — a topic she feels is often overlooked — with World Food Prize Foundation President Mashal Husain.
Through those conversations, Ghanaian leaders expressed interest in her work and enthusiasm for her passion, reminding her why her studies matter.
“Their encouragement strengthened my confidence and reaffirmed my commitment to contributing to Ghana’s agricultural transformation,” Bredu said.
Borlaug Dialogue connects global leaders and opens doors for UGA students
The Borlaug Dialogue is an annual symposium that brings together leaders in agriculture, science and innovation for a week of learning and collaboration around a key global issue: food insecurity. The World Food Prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for agriculture, is also awarded during the event.
Each year, the Office of International Programs in the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) selects two students for an all-expenses-paid trip to the symposium to connect with global food security leaders and explore potential career paths. Applicants submit a letter outlining their interest in global food security, a resume and two references. Bredu and the other UGA students were supported through the CAES World Food Prize Travel Award.
This year, due to a surprisingly strong applicant pool, CAES selected four students instead of the usual two.
Joining Bredu were Avery Hamilton, a fourth-year environmental resource science major; Nikita Bhusal, a doctoral student in food science and technology; and Natalia Espinoza, a doctoral student in horticulture.
Todd Applegate, CAES assistant dean for international programs and the R. Harald and Patsy Harrison Distinguished Chair in Poultry Science, accompanied the students. He said the group benefited not only from learning about food security issues but also from networking with foreign dignitaries, scientists, policymakers and other attendees.
“Not only does this allow students to garner perspectives on different career paths, but it also allows them to see the collaborative web that everyone plays in maintaining and uplifting our resilience in food security,” he said.
Networking with global changemakers deepens students’ career aspirations
The theme for the 2025 conference, SOILutions for Security, highlighted the importance of agriculture in building a sustainable food supply and the vital role of soil in supporting that system.
Students attended sessions on empowering women in agriculture, the value of international connections to U.S. agriculture, the link between political stability and food security, and the need for multi-sector cooperation.
Spending the week among top leaders in global food security efforts was an eye-opening experience for the students. Espinoza was inspired by how relatable the speakers were.
“The people who are making a difference in the world are just ordinary individuals with great ideas who never gave up,” she said. “They don’t have superpowers; they are just like everyone else.”
Bredu said the sessions broadened her understanding of agricultural policy and will help shape her future research.
“Going forward, I am committed to ensuring that whatever role I play in the food system will create meaningful impact,” she said. “I hope to become a food changemaker, contributing to global food security and resilience in the same transformative spirit that Dr. Norman Borlaug exemplified.”
UGA prepares to launch Georgia’s first World Food Prize Youth Institute
This year’s symposium also offered unique insight for CAES attendees, who shadowed the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, an annual academic conference where high school students present research on food security during the Borlaug Dialogue.
Next summer, UGA plans to host a World Food Prize Youth Institute in Georgia and send top students from that program to the Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa, Applegate said.
