Cynthia Rosenzweig wins prize in recognition of her modelling of the climate crisis’ impact on food production.
A Nasa climate research scientist who has spent much of her career explaining how global food production must adapt to a changing climate has been awarded the World Food prize.
Cynthia Rosenzweig, an agronomist and climatologist, was awarded the $250,000 prize in recognition of her innovative modelling of the impact of climate change on food production. She is a senior research scientist at the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies and serves as adjunct senior research scientist at the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University, both based in New York.
Rosenzweig, whose win was announced during a ceremony at the state department in Washington, said she hopes it will focus attention on the need to improve food and agricultural systems to lessen the effects of climate change.
“We basically cannot solve climate change unless we address the issues of the greenhouse gas emissions from the food system, and we cannot provide food security for all unless we work really hard to develop resilient systems,” she told the Associated Press during an interview ahead of the ceremony.