Agri-food pioneers from Iowa state honored

By Andi Anderson

Walter Suza and Lisa Schulte Moore, two esteemed faculty members from Iowa State University, have been named Top Agri-Food Pioneers by the World Food Prize Foundation.

They are among 38 global innovators recognized for their contributions to transforming food systems, as part of the foundation’s 38th-anniversary celebration. Suza and Schulte Moore will be honored at the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines this October.

Walter Suza, who holds the George Washington Carver Endowed Chair at Iowa State, was recognized for his work in making plant genetics more accessible to students worldwide.

Suza’s leadership in the Plant Breeding Education for Africa Program has expanded educational resources to thousands of students across 18 African countries and globally, thanks to funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

His research focuses on plant sterols, aiming to develop resilient crops that can thrive under limited water supplies.

Suza’s dedication to education was inspired during his time working for the World Food Program in Angola and UNICEF in Zimbabwe, where he saw firsthand how education could help address food insecurity. He is committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will play key roles in ending hunger.

Lisa Schulte Moore, a professor of natural resource ecology and management, is known for integrating ecological principles into agricultural practices. She co-led the Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) program, which promotes the use of native prairie strips in farmland to improve soil health, water quality, and ecological diversity.

Schulte Moore’s work supports sustainable agriculture by helping farmers adopt practices that balance food production with environmental conservation.

Her research, applied through the Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), focuses on solutions that enhance both landscape productivity and environmental health.

Suza and Schulte Moore's recognition as Top Agri-Food Pioneers highlights their contributions to making agriculture more resilient and addressing global food security challenges.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski