Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals

Dr. Arif Husain is chief economist and director of research, assessments, and monitoring at the World Food Programme, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. He has steadfastly shined the light on global hunger and its causes to effect meaningful action.

Dr. Husain is convinced that hunger is a solvable problem that requires political will and financial commitment. He believes that working for the success of your successor by investing in women’s empowerment, early childhood development, vocational education, market-based social protection schemes, and rural infrastructure is key to building more content, prosperous, and peaceful communities.

Dr. Husain has boldly and consistently worked to inform the world on how conflicts trigger starvation and famines, and breed destabilization, terrorism, and forced displacement. He has also outlined the geo-political consequences of ignoring these issues as somebody else’s problem. Global leaders have listened and resolved to save tens of millions of lives from starvation by providing funding and political support. The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved UN Resolution 2417 making starvation a war crime. David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme, credited Husain’s analysis and factual brilliance as the “heart” of the organization’s efforts.

Dr. Husain joined the World Food Programme in 2003 and has since served in many senior positions in the field and at the headquarters. He has also worked for the World Bank and taught at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Husain manages a team of more than 250 researchers and analysts worldwide. He has authored dozens of technical reports, journal articles, book chapters, invited papers, and conference proceedings. His interviews, opinion pieces, and quotes have been published widely in major news and media outlets. He has also given several keynote addresses at academic as well as public and private sector events.

In naming Dr. Husain as a recipient of the Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals, the selection committee acknowledges his dedication to solving world hunger and investing in the next generation.