Dr Swati Nayak, scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi, has been honoured as the recipient of the 2023 Borlaug Field Prize by the prestigious selection jury of the World Food Prize. Supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Borlaug Field Prize, named in honour of renowned agricultural scientist and Nobel laureate Dr Norman Borlaug, is awarded annually to individuals under the age of 40 whose pioneering and extraordinary science-based work has greatly improved the world’s cuisine production and helped reduce hunger and malnutrition. The recipient is awarded USD10,000 and an award diploma. In her career spanning 13 years,

The award was officially announced on September 19 during an event hosted by CGIAR at New York City Climate Week. Dr Swati Nayak is set to formally receive the award during the Borlaug Dialogue on October 24 in Des Moines, Iowa. Expressing her deep gratitude for receiving this prestigious award, she said, “I am extremely grateful to the World Food Prize Foundation for this honour, which reflects our joint pledge to build a resilient food system and a better world for all.” Dr Swati has made outstanding contributions in the field of bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and practical applications. Apart from being the Head of Seed Systems for South Asia under IRRI, she also serves as the Head of the Cereal Seed Systems Group under CGIAR’s flagship initiative SeEdQUAL. Throughout her career, Dr Swati has conducted over 10,000 on-farm and comparative trials and participatory evaluations for over 500 rice varieties through seed systems and scaling up channels in multiple countries and over 20 critical pathways. One of her important achievements includes her role in positioning and creating early entry points for many potentially drought-tolerant varieties in India. Dr Swati and her team devised a strategy to introduce the drought-tolerant rice variety Shahbhagi Dhan in Mayurbhanj, one of the most populous, mostly tribal districts of Odisha, India. Eight years after Dr Swati’s initial intervention, participatory wealth remains one of the most sought-after products in Odisha and the rest of India.

Pankaj Yadav, Joint Secretary (Seed), Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said on her achievement, “Dr Swati is supporting various rural innovation models focusing on agricultural technology transfer, extension and enterprise development. Her leadership in pioneering various participatory field research and extension models is highly appreciated and widely replicated in the national system. From 2021 to 2022, through the efforts of Dr Swati and her seed system team, the women-led seed enterprises were able to produce, distribute and sell approximately 8.5 metric tonnes of quality seeds. Additionally, she helped empower women in agriculture through her work with the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) led by the Government of India and the World Bank. Dr Ajay Kohli, Interim Director General of IRRI, said, “Dr Swati has made a significant and quantifiable impact on sustainable rural livelihoods, agricultural extension and food security. Dr Sudhanshu Singh, Director, ISARC (Varanasi) said, “It is a proud moment for me and our entire organisation to celebrate this well-deserved addition to Swati Nayak’s suite of achievements. An epitome of women empowerment and leadership skills, she has made significant contributions to strengthening seed systems and agricultural extension in South Asia in her journey with IRRI.”