Actor, author and humorist Nick Offerman will be among the speakers at the World Food Prize this year in Des Moines.
The nonprofit group known for annually awarding what’s been called the Nobel Prize of agriculture announced Wednesday, Aug. 12, that Offerman will participate in a panel about regenerative agriculture at its Borlaug Dialogue. The weeklong symposium brings hundreds of people focused on ending global hunger to Des Moines each fall.
This year’s event is scheduled for Oct. 20-22.
Offerman is a fan of Wendell Berry, a Kentucky farmer, environmental activist and writer, and narrated the audio version of Berry’s latest book, “The Need to Be Whole,” as well as “The Unsettling of America” and “The World-Ending Fire.”
Offerman also has produced two documentary films about regenerative agriculture, “Look & See” and “A Fork In the Road,” and he reads Berry and other authors’ poetry on the weekly WNYC radio series “A Wonder Is What It Is.”
Offerman won an Emmy for his work on HBO’s “The Last of Us” and also is known for his work on Apple TV’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” and NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”
A woodworker in addition to his other pursuits, Offerman has written six New York Times best-selling books, including his latest, “Little Woodchucks: Offerman Woodshop’s Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery.” His promotional tour for the book last year included a visit to Des Moines sponsored by Beaverdale Books.
The World Food Prize said Offerman’s schedule at the Borlaug Dialogue has not yet been set.
The event draws world leaders, scientists and aid workers to the Iowa capital annually to discuss ending hunger. It culminates in the presentation of the $500,000 World Food Prize to innovators and leaders from around the world who have improved the quality, quantity or availability of food.
This year’s recipient is Dutch scientist Huub Lelieveld, who has led a global food safety movement that has prevented millions of cases of foodborne illness while dismantling barriers to trade and humanitarian aid.
The prize was founded by the late Norman Borlaug, an Iowa native who is credited with saving a billion lives by developing high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat varieties. Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
For more information about the symposium and to register, go to WorldFoodPrize.org.
Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Nick Offerman joins World Food Prize panel on regenerative agriculture
Reporting by Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
