Iowa State University Professor Curt Youngs has been named a 2026 Top Agri-Food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation. He is among 40 global innovators from 30 countries selected for their transformative food systems work that is driving change in agriculture and global food security. TAP honorees will be recognized at the 2026 Borlaug Dialogue in October.
Youngs serves as a Morrill Professor, M.E. Ensminger Endowed Chair of International Animal Agriculture and associate director of Iowa State’s Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods livestock and animal health programs. He is widely known for laying a foundation for better use of artificial insemination in livestock to increase efficiency of milk and meat production.
The TAP Award announcement recognizes his scientific excellence, international leadership and practical impact to advance livestock systems, food security and agricultural capacity across multiple regions. It specifically references his work translating advanced reproductive and animal biosciences into real-world benefits and his publications, which represent sustained contributions to livestock reproduction, embryo technologies, biosecurity, dairy development, camelid production and sustainable livestock systems across Ethiopia, Kosovo, Peru, Algeria and Uganda.
Source : iastate.edu