On December 1, the 2020 GCHERA World Agriculture Prize (WAP) Award Ceremony and the 2020 World Agriculture Dialogue were held at Nanjing Agricultural University (NJAU). Zhang Fusuo, Professor of China Agricultural University, and Pamela Ronald, Professor of the University of California, Davis, respectively, won this year's World Agriculture Prize for their outstanding achievements in agriculture and life science education and scientific research, according to Nanjing Agricultural University.
Dr. Zhang Fusuo is the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, plant nutrition expert in the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences of China Agricultural University, and the President of the National Academy of Agriculture Green Development. The academic discipline of Plant Nutrition was first established by a group of scholars led by Dr. Zhang. It combines the basic principles of plant nutrition with science-based fertilization and practical sciences, involving plant physiology, soil science, agronomy and nutrient management to achieve efficient utilization of resources, high crop quality and yields, along with environmental safety. Dr. Zhang has made major contributions to the development of China's agricultural resources and environment, expanded the dimensions and research fields of plant nutrition, and promoted the development of this discipline in China to tie into global plant nutrition research.
Dr. Pamela Ronald is a member of US National Academy of Sciences, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center and the Founding Director of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy at the University of California, Davis. Her research has focused on increasing disease resistance and environmental stress tolerance in crops, and has made important contributions in the fields of plant stress resistance and biological breeding. She has made breakthroughs in solving major agricultural challenges, introduced a new agricultural management paradigm, and promoted the progress of agricultural production.
WAP is an international award established by Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA). The prize aims to encourage individuals who have made outstanding contributions to education, research and innovation in agricultural and life sciences. The prize is 100,000 US dollars per person, sponsored by the NAU Education Development Foundation and the Da Bei Nong Group.
WAP has been awarded seven times so far to eight laureates from the United States, Germany, Canada, Belgium, Chile and Ghana. The awards have had a wide-ranging impact at home and abroad, promoting global exchanges and cooperation in related fields, and inspiring many scientists to promote innovation in agriculture and life sciences around the world.
