Joyce Banda gets ‘special honour’ at world food prize in Iowa

October 16, 2015 Nyasa Times Reporter 66 Comments

Malawi former president Joyce Banda, who is also founder of Joyce Banda Foundation International (JBFI) was on Thursday, October 15, 2015, ‘Special Guest of Honour’, during the 2015 ‘World Food Prize Laureate Award’ ceremony at the magnificent House Chamber, Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines, United States of America.

JB presenting the World Food Prize
JB presenting the World Food Prize
JB with a Malawian delegate, left, former Unicef Resident Representative to Malawi Natalie Hahn, centre
JB with a Malawian delegate, left, former Unicef Resident Representative to Malawi Natalie Hahn, centre
JB arrives to present the World Food Prize Laureate Award to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh at Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines, USA on Thursday
JB arrives to present the World Food Prize Laureate Award to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh at Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines, USA on Thursday
Part of the audience listening to panelists during “Voices from the Farm” panel discussion.
Part of the audience listening to panelists during “Voices from the Farm” panel discussion.
JB poses with USA Secretary for Agriculture, Tom Vilsack after she presented the 2015 'World Food Prize' at Iowa State Capitol on Thursday
JB poses with USA Secretary for Agriculture, Tom Vilsack after she presented the 2015 ‘World Food Prize’ at Iowa State Capitol on Thursday
Former president Banda poses for a photograph with a Bunda College of Agriculture PhD student in the US and and ICRASAT official (right) based at Chitedze Research Station
Former president Banda poses for a photograph with a Bunda College of Agriculture PhD student in the US and and ICRASAT official (right) based at Chitedze Research Station
JB receives a standing ovation inside Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines after she presented the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate Aaward to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh
JB receives a standing ovation inside Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines after she presented the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate Aaward to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh
Former president Banda speaks during the “Voices from the Farm” panel discussion at Marriot Hotel, Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday
Former president Banda speaks during the “Voices from the Farm” panel discussion at Marriot Hotel, Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday

The former President flew to Iowa on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at the invitation of the World Food Prize Foundation to present the US$250,000 prize to the 2015 Laureate, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and Chairman of BRAC.

BRAC is an international development organization based in Bangladesh. It is the largest non-governmental development organization in the world in terms of number of employees .BRAC is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh as well as other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

According to the President of the World Food Prize Foundation, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, the World Food Prize is “the Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture.”

“It was a great privilege for the foundation to have Her Excellency celebrating this momentous event with us and be part of the formal procession of dignitaries,” he told reporters after the event.

Banda was also invited to as a ‘Featured Speaker and Special Guest of Honour’ for 2015 Borlaug Dialogue Symposium (October 14 – 16) as part of the ‘World Food Prize’ annual series of events.

At this year’s Dialogue, special focus on the importance of empowering women and girls, and promoting girls’ education, specifically in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to confronting global hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

“Given Her Excellency’s exemplary, global leadership on issues concerning women and girls, we have been immensely privileged for Her Excellency to join us and speak on these issues as part of a conversation about ‘Voices from the Farm’.

“There could not be a more fitting, powerful speaker on the subject of uplifting African women and girls than Her Excellency Dr. Banda,” said AmbassadorQuinn.

Before the presentation ceremony of the World Food Prize, JB participated in two panel discussions ‘Voices from the Farm’, moderated by 2009 World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Gebisa Ejeta and ‘the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development (SDG) Goal: The Role of Communities in Driving Action, Accountability and Impact’, moderated by Nabeeha Kazi, Chair of the Community for Zero Hunger.

Among others, former Malawi president Banda discussed the challenges that smallholder farmers usually encounter in Africa and how women could be empowered to ensure that their households are food secure and that they have enough income to send children, especially the girl child, to school.

She said her Joyce Banda Foundation International focuses on five crucial development aspects, among them supporting women with income generating activities with main focus on agri-business and supporting and promoting access to both basic and tertiary education for the girl child and endeavour to keep girls in school until they finish their education.

During the two panel discussions, Dr. Joyce Banda was joined by Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Director, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), Eric Pohlman, Rwanda Country Director, One Acre Fund, Dr. Jimmy Smith, Director General, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Natalie DiNicola, President, DiNicola, LLC, Ruben Echeverria, Program Advisory Committee, HarvestPlus, Director General, CIAT, Gregory Kearns, Vice President, Institutional Business Development, Heifer International, Danielle Nierenberg, President, Food Tank, Ruth Oniang’o, Editor-in-Chief, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, World Food Prize Laureate and Founder of the MS Swaminathan Foundation.

Kazi hailed Joyce Banda for accepting to attend this year’s events.

“Her Excellency [Joyca Banda] has inspired so many of us with her message of empowerment and the critical role of communities in realizing a world without hunger and malnutrition,” Nabeeha Kazi said.

Kazi observed that Dr. Banda’s work all along has been about building up families, women and children through a holistic approach, and that these lessons are important for efforts to ensure a food and nutrition secure future for all.

The World Food Prize, which has been called “The Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture,” was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and “Father of the Green Revolution” Dr. Norman E. Borlaug.

Although a scientist with outstanding contributions, perhaps Dr. Borlaug’s greatest achievement was his unending struggle to integrate the various streams of agricultural research into viable technologies and to convince political leaders to bring these advances to fruition.

The event is the world’s most prestigious gathering for improving food security, enhancing agriculture and nutrition, and reducing hunger and poverty globally. Held each year on or around United Nations’ World Food Day on October 16, it attracts more than 1,000 dignitaries from more than 60 countries, gathering international leaders and thinkers for high-level “conversations” on critical issues in fighting hunger.

Speakers at previous symposia include Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General; Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland; Joachim Chissano, former President of Mozambique; Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil; John A. Kufuor, former President of Ghana; and Bill Gates, who chose the World Food Prize as the forum at which to announce his commitment to transform global food security and uplift Africa.

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66 replies on “Joyce Banda gets ‘special honour’ at world food prize in Iowa”

  1. James, I’m not brain washed. Your explaination is not convincing either. For your information I don’t support any politician. Why should there be bowel movement for Mutharika I thought election was held in 2014 or is it for 2019. Don’t put your imagination as truth.

  2. Mr sapitwa you are brain washed I guess.you can’t see that Muthalika is having bowel movement by banda so achieaments?if the guys were furious with bush iris convoy a mere preacher what more the former president

  4. Why are some people demeaning president Mutharika just because former acting president madam Joyce Banda is receiving recognition for her work as a person not president? This is personal achievement and will not contribute anything to Malawi. Let us all work very hard for our own glory. By the way is there any rivalry between incumbent president and Madam Joyce Banda? Those who know enlighten some of us. We fail to understand the linkage of personal glory of madam Joyce Banda and the presidency of Professor Mutharika.

  5. Akunama osabwela mungazayambe kuphedwa monga achitila nkulu wa ACB uja. We are not ready to loose you mama JB

  6. APM Mukuona zomwe akupanga Amai. Kkkkkk iwe uli dyooo makutu Ali balala
    Chimtima chikungokupwetekatu kkkkk USOVA APM.

    YOU WILL RESIGN SOON

  7. The only person fit to rule Malawi is JB. This nonsense of a president in the name of APM must stop. We must restore JB to power and restore the dignity of Malawi. We must burry APM and, with him, burry the shame and curse of Malawi.

  8. Are there two stories or one story being presented in this article?. Why is her excellency the former president putting on two separate attires? In some photos she is wearing light blue while in others she is wearing red?

  9. Koma ubwera kapena ayi? Ukhale Mai wanzeru ungasiye mamuna wako mpaka Chaka? Iweyo ulowa basi ukanenera komweko. Talema nawe Mai okuba ngati macholowe iwe sindinamuone. Kumangozitsasa ati timaulemu za ziiii. Iweyo sungafike pa president wa Mai Ku Liberia Johnson ndipo sukuyambapo. Ntchito kukwapatira nsalu pa phewa basi, fashion yake yakuti??

  17. amalawi sachedwa kuiwala,muluzi adanena.dziko lamalawi adaononga nkamuzu!! pothamangisa azungu.kamuzu adaba ndalama za dziko lamalawi ,kudabwera bakili nayeso adaba,bingu nayeso adaba ,JB nayeso adaba ,lero pali peter iye ndiye saba?munthu adalora kulandidwa green card?chifukwa chofuna uprezident? AMALAWI SITINGALITHE DZIKO LATHU.NDIFE AKUBA.

  19. Munthudi salandila ulemu kwawo amalandila kwina ndaonela Joyce Banda,Bushiri,Salanje etc Let’s wake up Malawians.Ngakhale Peter Mutharika yemweyu tingokhalira kumunyoza kumutukwana kumunena zoyipa zonse koma kwinako anampatsa u Professor wa Law.A Malawi tizayamba liti kusiya moyo wa nsanje,kaduka.Nkuona dziko lathu silikutukuka lingokhala pamodzimodzi.

  20. @Ineyo Everyone knows who initiated Cashgate and Joice investigated it. We seem to bury our heads in the sand and. No matter how you try to lie about cashgate the more things point to the initiator of cashgate. If we were honest as a country we should be apportioning the cashgate blame and Joice will have her portion – smaller than DPP of course and DPP should have been apologizing and trying to make reparations rather than heaping everything on Joice. Donors would then have a favourable position on Malawi. But as long as this mentality of heaping everything on Joice continues donors know their money is not safe. The thief is still hiding and exonerating himself waiting for more money to steal.
    Let our leaders assure donors that they are repentant and show remorse and get things straightened out. Clean the house and show some zeal to change and then we can be able to attract the needed support. Conclude the cashgate cases – do not shield anyone and ma PS that were like observers should be punished. Joice was not the custodian of GOVT money – the custodians are left free under the same pretext. Lie lie lie. Otherwise the donors are aware of who is the bigger thief and they wont shift even if you demonize Joice. Their is very little political gain as well now. SINTHANI mukupweteketsa mtundu wa a malawi with your political myopia.

  22. A mayi, mubwera liti kodi? Zinthu siziri bwino kukaya kuno. Tikuzunzika kwabasi. Mwina mudzathandizane ndi anthu enawa akufuna kwabwino. Panonso tawona kuti ng’ombe zayang’ana ku dazibomu.

  24. She is highly visible and influential in her own right. Her performance as president was much better than the incumbent, although she was undermined and eventually let down by her fellow women. To quote one Robert Nesta Marley, ” A good man is never honoured in his own yard””

  26. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT JB DID NOT GET CASHGATE MONEY. IT WAS NOT DPP GOVT WHICH ARRESTED LUTEPO, MUNANGOMUWONELERA MZIMAY KUTI MUMUBELE NDI KUMUYIPITSILA MBIRI.

  28. Awa nchifukwa analuza chisankho kukonda maphwanda ndi ma recognition Peter akubera mavoti. Chonchi 2019 mungadziwine?

  31. In a year when our country is facing hunger how can any Malawian get a prize for food? What am I not getting here?

  32. eeeeeeeeeh nsanje a Malawi ikuphani munya pwee muona nzanu biti mtila akuusimana mu United States of America, ali phe inu fwe fwe kuno mugwa khunyu muona ife ndi jb no magawa….feel free mama Malawi

  38. I will lay a table before you in the midst of your enemies. I will pour a cup for you and it will run over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you forever. When the enemy comes out like a flood I will raise up a standard. They will come out against you in one way but I will scatter them seven ways. Greater is he who is in you than the one in the world. When God says yes nobody can say no. I will never put you to shame. Pray for your enemies. The word of God is indeed true. They may castigate You but they do not know the relationship you have with your God. Now I see.

  39. Honestly, it’s quite nice to get all these honours. But getting back to reality, what are these honours helping us people on the ground with? Someone educate me here. Sizikuthandiza Abiti Mtila okhawo basi?

    The majority ya anthu tikusawuka partly chifukwa cha boma limene mumayendetsa mayi – it may or may not be your fault, but you were at the helm therefore should take some responsibility in helping rectify the situation .

    Zikuwoneka kuti mayi ndithu maybe you deserve those honours but why not come home and help dziko (if you really really are as humanitarian as these foreign honours seem to say).

    Bwerani muzathandize kuti chilungamo cha cash-gate chipezeke mwina chithandizo chingayambe kubwera so it can help us get back on our feet!!!!

  50. So whom is She trying to compete with? Behaving like a bitter divorced lady who quickly hunts for a new lover man and parades him on the streets in order to show the public that she is still marketable…very childish thinking. A loser is a loser FULL STOP…No coming back.

  57. AMAYI MWAGWIRA MA DONORS ONSE !!!

    TIMVERENI CHIFUNDO MTINDU WA AMALAWI TAGWIRA MWENDO
    WANU !!

    WANTHUFE TIKUTHA KUWONA !!

  58. Amayi ndiye kuno aja dakubelani mavoti zinthu zathina sakuziwa poyambila umphawi wafika poyipa.Akutuluka thukuta ndi nkamwa momwe.

  59. She is only president omwe adayang’ana mavuto aMalawian. Long term mavuto to -overcome ndi long terms. Solutions amai awoooooooo

  62. Zitipindulila Chani ife zimenezi, bwelani mudzatithandize kuchotsa chilombo chinabela mavoti chija

  63. Amayi… Amayi… Amayi tsopani…… Mkati mwa a Sungu…. Abiti Mtila….jwachiyao jwangalusa..Kukhala mzimayi sichifukwa….kuwa jwamkongwe ngawa ligongo….Asimayi wa wumbale msondo…. Yaaap……….Ayao Woyeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

  66. When are they giving her an award for Cash Gate and for the shenanigans she tried to pull during the last presidential elections?!

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