(Radio Iowa) - Researchers, business executives, and government officials from around the globe are in Iowa this week for the World Food Prize symposium.
It's an annual gathering to discuss food security and innovation. Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler are this year's World Food Prize laureates. They were instrumental in establishing the Svalbard (s-VAHL-bard) Global Seed Vault in Norway two decades ago. The two men says it's an important backup for seedbanks that could be hit by natural disasters, wars or a loss of funding.
Hawtin and Fowler spoke last night at Iowa State University. The Des Moines-based World Food Prize is hosting three days of events, culminating with a banquet and closing ceremony in the Iowa Capitol on Thursday evening.