Niigata, Japan is a region with prosperous farming and food processing industries. Generations of our forebears, in an epic struggle with the water and earth, built the most beautiful rice fields in Japan here, and their will continues to live on in the spirit of the land.

Inspired by the history of Niigata, a land of plenty, we decided to make our own contribution to the world by starting a new project in order to pass the dedication and passion of our ancestors on to the next generation.

Our objective is to establish an international award to honor the brilliant successes of those who are fighting to make quantitative and qualitative advances in the world's food supply. To that end, contributors from Niigata's industrial, agricultural, academic, and administrative sectors joined together to form this foundation in March 2009.

We are strongly determined to make a positive contribution to the health, welfare, and safety of the people of the world.

We are extremely grateful for your support.

Hiromu Ikeda
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Niigata International Food Award Foundation