15 October 2011 | 11:57

Ghana's Kufuor and Brazil's Lula awarded 2011 World Food Prize

Iowa State Capitol

Former president of Ghana John Agyekum Kufuor and former president of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have been awarded the 2011 World Food Prize. About 1000 people gathered for the ceremony held in Iowa State Capitol, Tengrinews.kz reports. The two ex-presidents have been chosen to jointly receive the Prize for their personal commitment and leadership in creating and implementing government policies to alleviate hunger and poverty in their countries. "The significant achievements of these two former heads of state illustrate that transformational leadership truly can effect positive change and greatly improve people’s lives," organizers say. President Kufuor (2001-2009) prioritized national agricultural policies. So, according to official data, Ghana saw a reduction in its poverty rate from 51.7 percent in 1991 to 26.5 percent in 2008, and hunger was reduced from 34 percent in 1990 down to 9 percent in 2004. Kufuor’s reforms provided investments in the agricultural and food sector, which grew at the rate of 5.5 percent between 2003 and 2008. President Lula da Silva’s (2003-2010) 'Zero Hunger strategy' was aligned with the UN Millennium Development Goals. During his tenure, according to official data, Brazil halved its portion of hungry people (with 93 percent of children and 82 percent of adults eating three meals a day) and also reduced the percentage of Brazilians living in extreme poverty from 12 percent in 2003 down to 4.8 percent in 2009. You can find out more about the World Food Prize here.

Former president of Ghana John Agyekum Kufuor and former president of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have been awarded the 2011 World Food Prize. About 1000 people gathered for the ceremony held in Iowa State Capitol, Tengrinews.kz reports. The two ex-presidents have been chosen to jointly receive the Prize for their personal commitment and leadership in creating and implementing government policies to alleviate hunger and poverty in their countries. "The significant achievements of these two former heads of state illustrate that transformational leadership truly can effect positive change and greatly improve people’s lives," organizers say. President Kufuor (2001-2009) prioritized national agricultural policies. So, according to official data, Ghana saw a reduction in its poverty rate from 51.7 percent in 1991 to 26.5 percent in 2008, and hunger was reduced from 34 percent in 1990 down to 9 percent in 2004. Kufuor’s reforms provided investments in the agricultural and food sector, which grew at the rate of 5.5 percent between 2003 and 2008. President Lula da Silva’s (2003-2010) 'Zero Hunger strategy' was aligned with the UN Millennium Development Goals. During his tenure, according to official data, Brazil halved its portion of hungry people (with 93 percent of children and 82 percent of adults eating three meals a day) and also reduced the percentage of Brazilians living in extreme poverty from 12 percent in 2003 down to 4.8 percent in 2009. You can find out more about the World Food Prize here.

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