Members of Ohio State’s department of agriculture attended the World Food Prize last week, which some consider the Nobel Prize of food and agriculture.

“We’ve been involved every year, and we’ve been involved in other agricultural issues around the world easily since 1955,” said Mark Erbaugh, assistant director of international programs in agriculture at OSU.

The prize, which issues $250,000 a year to its winner, was awarded this year to three scientists, one from the United States and two from Brazil, who have worked to transform the Cerrado region of Brazil into agricultural production, said Dave Hansen, associate dean and director of international programs in agriculture.

Agriculture department faculty attended the event with three OSU fellows who are visiting from India, Erbaugh said. He said the Borlaug fellowship program is named after the originator of the World Food Prize and Nobel Laureate, Norman Borlaug.

Borlaug, known as the “Father of the Green Revolution,” worked in Punjab, India to diminish the food deficit. With the help of his research, Punjab was able to turn into a net food exporter by improving the variety and market value of the rice grown in the area. He established the World Food Prize in 1986 to recognize the role that individuals played in fighting hunger, Hansen said.

Borlaug was issued an honorary degree from OSU because of his work during the 1950s to improve agricultural production in Mexico, Latin America and Asia.

“Ohio State has also issued honorary degrees to three other individuals who have won the World Food Prize to recognize them for their contributions,” Hansen said.

OSU also has a youth program associated with the World Food Prize run by OSU alumna Micki Zartman, whose husband, Dr. David Zartman, has been involved with the World Food Prize for the past three years.

During the three-day event, which was held in Des Moines, Iowa, visitors attended a variety of symposiums and other activities.

“It’s very impressive,” said Hansen. “It’s like I’m compelled to go, like there’s an invisible attraction. It’s honestly an impressive event.”