Thursday, June 17, 2010

Heifer International and Bread for the World Win 2010 World Food Prize


On Wednesday June 16th, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced the 2010 winners of the World Food Prize Award. David Beckmann, the President of Bread for the World, and Jo Luck, the CEO of Heifer International, were this year's co-recipients of the $250,000 prize. As described by the World Food Prize organization, the annual award is "the foremost international award recognizing...the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world."

Bread for the World is a Christian-based advocacy organization with over 250,000 members, who urge US political leaders to change the policies and conditions that allow global hunger to persist. Bread for the World was a key driver behind the US's threefold increase in development funding and fourfold increase in aid to Africa.

Heifer International provides gifts of plants and animals, from cattle and sheep to honeybees and water buffalo, to needy families around the world. Families that receive a donation from Heifer International are required to give one of their animal's offspring free-of-charge to another needy family, who in turn must donate an animal to another family, and so and so forth.

Together these grassroots organizations have changed the lives of millions of people by reducing global hunger. They have been shining examples of the power of normal citizens to drastically reduce global poverty through the power of their voices and charity of their hearts.

-Matthew Thwaites
SOURCES: 2010 World Food Prize News Release