INDIAN-AMERICAN agricultural scientist Karim Maredia has been named for the Borlaug CAST Communication Award, given in honor of Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, who pioneered the Green Revolution.
The award, given by the Iowa-based Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), will be conferred on Maredia, professor, associate dean and director of the World Agriculture Centre at Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, at the Library of Congress on December 10.
"The Borlaug CAST Communication Award exists for scientists like Karim Maredia — people who believe that research only fulfils its promise when it reaches the people it was meant to serve," said Chris Boomsma, CAST CEO.
"Maredia will be recognised for a career built on the conviction that scientific knowledge belongs to everyone – and that the duty of the scientist extends beyond the laboratory to the communities and policymakers who can act on it. His three-decade record of capacity building, international knowledge exchange, and science diplomacy embodies the mission of the award," CAST said.
A son of a dairy farmer, Maredia was born in a small village in Gujarat.
He joined Michigan State University in 1989 – having previously worked as a research scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre in Mexico – and has spent more than 35 years building one of the most far-reaching science communication programs in international agriculture.
As director of WorldTAP — the World Knowledge and Technology Access Program — he has traveled to more than 60 countries, disseminating knowledge, information and new technologies to the global agricultural community.
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His scholarly output spans 130 papers, policy briefs and book chapters, and eight co-edited books on integrated pest management, technology transfer and agricultural extension.
His work has been supported by USAID, USDA, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, Winrock International and the Gates Foundation.
Educated across three continents, Maredia earned his BSc in Agriculture from Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (India), his MS in Integrated Pest Management from Alabama A&M University, and his PhD in Plant Breeding and Integrated Pest Management from the University of Arkansas.
Maredia currently serves as Foreign Secretary of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences of India, member of the African Union's High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies, and member of the Global Council of the World Agriculture Forum.
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His programs have secured more than USD 55 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, USDA, the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, CropLife International, and Winrock International, among others.
"It is a great honor and deeply humbling to receive this prestigious award. The award celebrates not only my individual efforts but also the enduring power of partnerships, collaborations, and shared vision across national and international boundaries," Maredia said in a statement.
"It reflects our shared commitment to advancing science, technology, and innovation toward a food-secure world, while recognizing the vital role of effective communication in connecting science with society," he said.
He also thanked his colleagues, partners, and collaborators on the occasion.
(With inputs from agencies)
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