At the 2025 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, 28 World Food Prize laureates and humanitarian chef José Andrés issued a clear call to action: the world must double its investments in both humanitarian food aid and agricultural development. Their message targets global leaders across government, industry, and civil society, emphasizing that the world is far from meeting current and future food needs.

With more than 700 million people hungry and 2 billion lacking reliable food access, the laureates warned that current systems are failing. In an open letter supported by over 100 Nobel Prize laureates and 250 organizations, they called for a "moonshot of investment" to address escalating food insecurity. The timing is urgent: the World Food Program, the globe's largest food aid agency, has seen its budget slashed by 40%, forcing ration cuts and halting assistance in some regions.

José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, emphasized that "food is a universal right." Known for mobilizing relief kitchens in disaster and conflict zones, Andrés highlighted that hunger is often politically driven, resulting from war, failed governance, or inaction-not just natural disasters. Speaking to an audience of agriculture leaders, he noted that "hunger anywhere is a moral failure everywhere," and warned that current U.S. policies risk worsening global instability.

Cuts to food aid also reverberate through the U.S. farm economy. Andrés explained that fewer purchases of U.S. commodities for global programs hurt American farmers, impacting demand for feedstuffs and reducing opportunities for engagement with global food systems. He also criticized the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-previously a vital link between U.S. agriculture and food security abroad.

Cary Fowler, a 2024 laureate, criticized the false dichotomy that often pits food aid against development funding. "Do we want to invest in humanitarian assistance, or agricultural development? I don't know why we set up that dichotomy," he said. The laureates insist both must be addressed together for any real progress.

The debate touches on multiple issues that matter to U.S. agriculture professionals: commodity prices, input costs, co-op engagement, yield volatility, and global trade. Aid cuts can suppress commodity demand, while development investments abroad-such as support for soil health or precision agriculture-can stabilize international supply chains and support longer-term market growth.

David Beckmann, a 2010 laureate, noted that hunger had declined for decades, but global progress has stalled due to conflict, climate impacts, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. "I thought we were done with famine," he said, "but it has reemerged." These dynamics are reshaping global supply chains and may raise input costs for American producers and co-ops.

Laureates also voiced concern over the demonization of agricultural technologies. Economist Howarth Bouis pointed to the stalled adoption of Golden Rice in the Philippines-a bioengineered crop designed to combat malnutrition. Despite promising health outcomes, regulatory hurdles and NGO pushback have shelved the project, highlighting how misinformation can stall innovation.

Andrés echoed the need for bold thinking and long-term vision. He warned that if climate change and soil degradation go unaddressed, the day could come when "planet Earth does not have enough food to feed itself." His message to the U.S. and global agriculture sectors was clear: support for food aid and sustainable development is not charity-it is a strategic investment in stability, trade, and peace.

As food insecurity deepens, the U.S. agricultural sector faces a choice. Will it play a leading role in responding, or retreat into isolation as crises escalate? For producers, co-ops, and ag policymakers, the laureates' message is clear: double the investment, double the impact.