WASHINGTON – John Kufuor of Ghana and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil won the $250,000 World Food Prize for combating hunger. It was the first time the award, created 25 years ago by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Bourlag, recognised the role of national leaders.
With his “Zero Hunger” program, Lula gave top priority to combating hunger and poverty in Brazil, a rising economic power of 203 million people.
Kufuor, president of Ghana from 2001-09, used public and private sector initiatives to reduce poverty, including a programme to provide one meal a day to children and educating farmers on best practices. – (Reuters)