Chef José Andrés Joins World Food Prize Laureates in Calling Doubling of Emergency Food Aid Funding and Agricultural Investment

On the second day of the 2025 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a group of 28 World Food Prize Laureates alongside culinary innovator, educator, humanitarian and New York Times bestselling author Chef José Andrés published a joint statement calling for a doubling of investment both for emergency food aid and investment in sustainable agriculture.

"Hunger is not someone else's problem to solve-it is a collective challenge that demands engagement from every corner of society," the Laureate Letter reads. "Let us double down-not in words, but in action."

Andrés later sat down for a panel with Gov. Tom Vilsack, CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation, to discuss how to highlight humanitarianism and innovation, even in the face of conflict.

In 2010, Andrés formed World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises. From Ukraine to Gaza to Haiti, across the United States and beyond, WCK's team of "food first responders" has partnered with local chefs and restaurants to serve nearly 600 million nourishing meals around the world.

"World Central Kitchen believes food is a human right," Andrés said. "Every day, communities in crisis are working together-neighbors feeding neighbors-all over the world to make sure no one goes without a hot meal in conflict or disaster, but there is so much more to be done. We echo the call for the international community to increase humanitarian support, invest in resilient food systems, and empower local solutions to end hunger."

Andrés also gave an inspiring message to over 180 students from nine different countries who traveled to Des Moines for the Global Youth Institute, which is held concurrently during the Borlaug Dialogue each year. This event celebrates the innovative efforts of young leaders, selected from the 38 Youth Institutes throughout the year, to participate in roundtable discussions and network with global leaders throughout the week.

2016 World Food Prize Laureate Jan Low, along with 2001 Laureate Per Pinstrup-Andersen also honored the members of the 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneer (TAP) cohort, and both will serve as mentors to them into the future. The 2025 TAP cohort features 39 pioneers from 27 different countries and ranging in age from 20 to 79, representing a powerful cross-section of geography, experience and expertise.

In a lively and interactive cooking demonstration, three internationally recognized chefs-Sanaa Abourezk, Sanjeev Kapoor and Ty Newnham-showed how what we eat is rooted in the health of our soils. From discussions about Mediterranean legumes to Indian spices to creative youth-inspired fusion, each chef highlighted how nutritious, flavorful and sustainable diets all depend on thriving soils. They also shared culinary knowledge, cultural traditions and practical tips for supporting soil health at home and in our communities.

Other sessions explored the role of regenerative farming practices, agriculture's contribution to peace building, innovations across animal agriculture and digital and financial inclusion. Together, these sessions highlighted the diversity of approaches, from ecological restoration to cutting-edge agricultural technologies, required to transform the future of global food systems.