Today AAEA President Jayson Lusk was announced as the 2017 recipient of the Borlaug CAST Communication Award.
CAST (The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology) presents the award annually for “outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors for contributing to the advancement of science in the public policy arena.” It is named after Norman Borlaug, the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner for his contributions to the safety and advancement of the global food supply.
Lusk, who was also named an AAEA Fellow in 2015, has published multiple books and nearly 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Lusk uses multiple mediums to communicate information on food and agricultural economics, and is used frequently as a trusted source by journalists across the country.
“It is incredibly humbling to receive an award named after Norman Borlaug, a man whose work, quite literally, saved millions of lives,” Lusk said.
“Now more than ever, it is important for the public and policy makers to have science and evidence-based information about food and agriculture. If we want to solve some of society’s most pressing problems in food and agriculture, we will need innovation and science, and it is important that the public understands the consequences of policies and consumption choices.”
Lusk, who is a Regents Professor and Willard Sparks Endowed Chair with the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University, was recently named head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University.
The award will be presented to Lusk at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 18 in Des Moines, Iowa. If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Jay Saunders in the AAEA Business Office.
ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 20 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes two journals, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices. To learn more, visit www.aaea.org.