Food Security
Real heroes
“It is difficult to express in words how honoured and deeply
touched I am by this recognition.” Sir Fazle said upon receiving
the award. “The real heroes in our story are the poor themselves
and, in particular, women struggling with poverty who overcome
enormous challenges each day of their lives. Through our work
across the world we have learnt that countries and cultures vary,
but the realities, struggles, aspirations and dreams of poor and
marginalized people are remarkably similar.”
BRAC’s multi-dimensional and dynamic methods of reducing
hunger and poverty include the creation and support of a
range of integrated enterprises, such as: seed production and
dissemination; feed mills, poultry and fish hatcheries; milk
collection centres and milk processing factories; tea plantations;
and packaging factories. The income generated from these
social enterprises is used to subsidize primary schools and
essential health care. In this way, BRAC has been a leader in
empowering women and girls through microfinance, education,
healthcare, and encouraging their active participation in
directing village life and community cohesion.
“At a time when the world confronts the great challenge of
feeding over nine billion people, Sir Fazle Abed and BRAC,
the organization he founded and leads, have created the
preeminent model being followed around the globe on how to
educate girls, empower women and lift whole generations out
of poverty. For this monumental achievement, Sir Fazle truly
deserves recognition as the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate,”
commented World Food Prize President, Ambassador Kenneth
M. Quinn.
Focus on empowering women
Sir Fazle’s unparalleled achievement in building the unique,
integrated development organization, BRAC began after
the combination of a deadly tropical cyclone and war of
independence in his home country. Sir Fazle set out to address
the terrible devastation suffered by the people and formed
the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee (BRAC’s
original name). Following initial relief efforts, the organization
soon became involved in more long-term community
development, and thus, was renamed the Bangladesh Rural
Advancement Committee.
Today BRAC operates 18 financially and socially profitable
enterprises, across health, agriculture, livestock, fisheries,
education, green energy, printing and retail sectors, and has
been responsible for extraordinary advancements in the poultry,
seed, and dairy industries in Bangladesh and other countries
in which it operates in Africa. BRAC has recently increased its
commitment to girls’ education in low-income countries with a
five-year pledge to reach 2.7 million additional girls through
primary and pre-primary schools, teacher training, adolescent
empowerment programs, scholarships and other programs.
The World Food Prize award ceremony and Laureate address
forms part of the annual Borlaug Dialogue, a premier food
security conference held in downtown Des Moines that is taking
place this week.
It was Dr. Borlaug’s dream to ensure a promising
future for the world by inspiring the next generation
of agricultural researchers and leaders. He and
John Ruan Sr. established the World Food Prize
Global Youth Institute 21 years ago.
SABI | DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016
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