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Swati Nayak named recipient of 2023 Norman Borlaug Field Award
The award recognises individuals under the age of 40 whose pioneering and exceptional science based work have significantly advanced the world’s food production and helped alleviate hunger and malnutrition
Dr Swati Nayak / Image: International Rice Research Institute - IRRI
Dr. Swati Nayak, an Indian researcher at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has been awarded the 2023 Norman E. Borlaug Prize for field research and application, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, and presented by the World Food Prize Foundation.
Nayak receives US$10,000 and a certificate of achievement in recognition of her pioneering efforts to include smallholder farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems, from research and development through testing and deployment, in order to ensure that all people have equal opportunity to benefit from more robust and healthier rice varieties in the face of changing climates.
Reacting to the honor, Nayak said, “As a proud IRRI-CGIAR Scientist and having the opportunity to work with several eminent researchers, I dedicate this award to thousands of agriculture extensionists, change agents, and scaling and innovation experts specifically to all the young women professionals who are directly working with the farmers.”
Since joining IRRI in 2013, Nayak has worked in many different roles for the organization’s worldwide flagship initiatives focusing on rice and rice-based food systems. She is the current lead for cereal seed systems under the key initiative SeedEqual of CGIAR, a worldwide research partnership focused on agricultural food systems.
In her career spanning over 13 years, Nayak has organized more than 10,000 on-farm and comparative testings and participatory evaluations for more than 500 rice varieties and disseminated more than 20 critical path-breaking varieties that are climate resilient, high-yielding, bio-fortified, and healthier through seed systems and scaling channels in many countries. She has advocated for gender inclusion in agriculture research, actively engaging women in participatory research.
Nayak’s initiatives have led to the establishment of numerous women-led seed enterprises, benefiting not only in productivity but also income, decision-making authority, and overall empowerment of women. She spearheaded the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran pariyojana scheme for women farmers under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) by the Indian Government and the World Bank.
Nayak holds a bachelor's in agricultural science from Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University; a PhD in agriculture extension management from Amity University; and a Master's in rural management from the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).
The Borlaug Field Prize selection jury was impressed by Nayak’s tireless commitment to addressing the pressing challenges facing our planet and her accomplishments that have resonated far beyond the laboratory and in the field. The award is named after renowned agricultural scientist and Nobel laureate Dr Norman Borlaug.
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