Mr. Hajime Koizumi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Akira Shinoda, Vice-chair and mayor of Niigata city, Dr. Hideaki Karaki, Chairman of the selection committee, Other protocols, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with great humility and gratitude that I accept the Niigata International Food Award. I consider this award to be Niigata’s recognition of the courageous efforts made by thousands of African scientists often working under difficult conditions in the war to end hunger on our continent. A war in which they have won several notable battles but which remains to be won as highlighted by statistics showing that more than 300 million Africans wake up hungry and go to bed the same way every day.

I am extremely proud to receive this award from the Niigata International Food Award Foundation, the second international food awarding system established in March 2009. Though short lived the Foundation has development in several areas including my professional domain of agriculture. The Foundation should be commended for awarding those who are fighting to reduce hunger and poverty by making quantitative and qualitative advances in the World’s food supply. 

As I accept this award, I realize that there are many out there who will be wondering what I did to deserve it. I concede that I have been exceptionally fortunate to have been surrounded throughout my career by outstanding research managers, scientists, administrators and support staff. Without them I would not have had the privilege of leading the ground breaking research that ultimately succeeded in producing the New Rice for Africa (NERICA), which led in 2004 to the award to me of the World Food Prize.

I have also been fortunate to work with exceptional collaborators from all over the world. I wish to specially recognize the smallholder farmers who were the first people to invest their own money and labor in growing NERICA. Without their acceptance of the risk of adopting these new varieties and without their feedback through the participatory plant selection processes, the story of NERICA would have been different. Instead of becoming the variety that is hugely transforming rice production across Africa thereby saving scarce foreign exchange that would otherwise be spent on rice imports, it would be lying on the shelves of the Africa Rice Center.

I further wish to gratefully acknowledge the contribution that my family has made towards the achievements credited to me. I specifically wish to recognize the support that my wife, Geraldine, and our children have extended to me including the sacrifices they have endured in this regard.

The recognition bestowed on me by the World Food Prize was instrumental in catapulting me to a bigger stage where as the Executive Director of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) I am leading efforts to enhance Africa’s capacity for agricultural innovation and as the Chair of the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR) I am leading bold transformative initiatives aimed at enhancing the developmental impact of the global agricultural research system.

It is my hope that the recognition which Niigata International Food Award Foundation has today bestowed on me for achievements in agricultural innovation will inspire students and young scientists across Africa and Asian agriculture in particular leading to victory in the war against hunger which I alluded to earlier.

I thank you very much for the great honor you have bestowed on me and the very kind reception and the exceptionally generous hospitality you have accorded to my wife and I at this magnificent setting located in the equally remarkably beautiful city of Niigata. I wish you individually and Niigata International Food Award Foundation every success in your endeavors.

It is the great honor that I can receive the 1st Niigata International Food Award. And I am deeply gratitude to the members of selecting committee who evaluate the increase of the rice production caused by the popularization of the hybrid rice and my years of effort to improve the hybrid rice.

The success of the hybrid rice is the great step in growing rice seeds, and increases the production of rice. Not only China, but also the actual result of other countries, indicates it’s remarkable high production. I believe that the worldwide popularization of the hybrid rice will contribute for the food security and the peace of the world.

The success of the hybrid rice is the result of the effort of many agricultural scientists and the strong support of the Chinese Government. I only took the part to set the ball rolling.

We are going to continue our research with the encouragement of this honorable award.

There are no borders in the field of science. Hybrid technology is not only for China but for all over the world. We are going to promote the hybrid rice especially in developing countries to improve the life of people. We wish the greater contribution of the hybrid rice for the human kinds of the world. Thank you very much.

I'm very happy to receive the 1st Niigata International Food Award. And at this opportunity, I'd like to thank the foundation chairman Mr. Koizumi and the selection committee chairman Mr. Karaki, and the all of people involved plus everyone here participate in this room.

Thinking about the "Food“ of 50 or 100 years from now, I believe it would be important not to stop the research at the basic level but to continue it to application level. In that meaning, I'm going to do all I can to my best effort into the research with the new motivation which is given to me by this award. From now on, I 'd like to devote myself with my team and all partners to our research. Thank you very much.