Catherine Bertini, a leader who has communicated the importance of agriculture and science through the humanitarian programs she has organized in the U.S. and throughout the world, is the recipient of the 2011 Borlaug CAST Communication Award, presented by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.
Established in 1986 by CAST, the annual award goes to a specialist who communicates the importance of food and agricultural science to the public, policymakers and news media. Bertini has been active on many fronts, taking leadership as a chief administrator, professor, committee chair, speechmaker and advocate for the role women play in the world food distribution chain. After receiving a fellowship from Harvard in 1986, she worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and then as an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she eventually oversaw thirteen food assistance programs supporting the U.S.'s poorest families. She also worked on various policies that helped women and children. She was also the driving force behind the United National World Food Program from 1992 to 2002.
An award presentation will occur at a breakfast co-hosted by CropLife Foundation and CAST as a side event at the World Food Prize Symposium on Oct. 12, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa.
