IFPRI is participating in the 2025 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. This year’s theme, “SOILutions for Security,” underscores the foundational role that agriculture plays in sustaining global stability. The Dialogue will explore how diverse industries and sectors can unite to address the challenges of economic disruption, conflict, and environmental stress from the ground up. The yearly “Borlaug Dialogue” brings together individuals from more than 65 countries to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition.
October 21, 2025
Peace on the Plate: A Legacy of Security: A Legacy of Security | Plenary Session | 10:00am – 10:45am CDT | Location: 4th floor, Iowa Events Center
This high-level dialogue will explore how food security serves as the foundation for peace, stability and security at both national and global levels. Panelists will connect challenges such as climate change, migration and confl ict to the urgent need for resilient food systems. The discussion will highlight why addressing hunger is not only a humanitarian priority but also a strategic investment in a safer, more stable future.
Facilitator: Cary Fowler, 2024 World Food Prize Laureate
Panelists
- Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR
- Richard Roberts, 1993 Nobel Prize Laureate and Chief Science Officer, New England Biolabs
- Johan Swinnen, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute
- Michael Werz, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
October 22, 2025
School Meals as an Engine for Economic Growth and Trade | Side Event | 19:00 – 20:00 CDT | Location: Room 312, Iowa Events Center
(hosted by Bread for the World Institute, Alliance to End Hunger, & Farm Journal Foundation)
School meals are more than a social safety net—they are a powerful engine for economic growth and resilience. By linking agriculture, nutrition and education, school meals can drive inclusive economic development while ensuring children have the nourishment they need to learn and thrive. More than 400 million children receive regular meals through school feeding programs, making such programs a key solution to meeting children’s food and nutrition needs both in the United States and around the world. Indeed, in 2022, school feeding programs were an estimated $48 billion industry driven by procurement. This side event will highlight how investments in school meal programs generate multiplier effects across food systems: creating stable markets for smallholder farmers, stimulating trade, supporting jobs in food production and distribution and strengthening national economies. Panelists will examine models and strategies that demonstrate how school meals can be leveraged to strengthen trade, expand economic opportunities and build human capital.
IFPRI Speaker
- Johan Swinnen, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute