Mariangela Hungria was 8 years old when her grandmother gifted her a book that would change her life. 

Inside its pages were “stories of scientists who unlocked invisible worlds, who forever changed the course of human history,” according to a video documenting her life.

Hungria, a microbiologist from São Paulo, Brazil, received the $500,000 2025 World Food Prize Thursday during a ceremony in Des Moines. Hungria received the award for her scientific advancements in biological nitrogen fixation, transforming the sustainability of soil health and crop nutrition for tropical agriculture. The low-cost technologies and products she has developed have increased crop productivity affordably and sustainably, according to the World Food Prize Foundation.

“I’m confident that we are continuing Dr. Norman Borlaug’s dream into a new vision, a microgreen revolution driven by biological inputs,” Hungria said in her acceptance speech Thursday. “Today, I see farmers everywhere seeking more sustainable practices, and I deeply admire Brazilian farmers who are responsible for our global leadership in the use of biologicals.”

She said she feels “especially honored for receiving this prize as a woman.”

“For centuries, women’s roles in agriculture have been invisible and unrecognized, yet in most countries, we are the ones cultivating the land, saving the best seeds and passing down nutritional knowledge through generations,” she said.

The World Food Prize was founded in 1986 by Norman Borlaug, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work to improve the world’s food supply. The award recognizes an individual whose work and innovation have helped fight hunger worldwide. Borlaug, a Cresco, Iowa, native who was known as the father of the “Green Revolution,” died in 2009.

Hungria is the 56th laureate and the 10th woman to receive the prize.

Hungria, a professor at the State University of Parana and the Federal University of Technology of the State of Parana, said since she was a child, she dreamed of becoming a microbiologist and fighting hunger.

“Although it seemed improbable that I could ever succeed, I chose to become an agronomist and to specialize in soil microbiology,” she said. “Forty-five years ago, despite intense pressure to pursue a career focused on chemicals, I followed my heart and my belief in a productive yet sustainable agriculture world [that] replaces chemical inputs with biological alternatives wherever possible. I have dedicated my life to biologicals. My weapons have been rigorous science, validation …. and constant advocacy for environmental sustainability.”

According to the World Food Prize, Hungria has harnessed symbiotic soil microorganisms as an effective alternative to synthetic fertilizers. She has improved plant nutrient uptake and helped farmers save billions of dollars while mitigating environmental risks associated with pollution and emissions.

At the award ceremony, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she welcomed guests from more than 75 countries to Iowa.

“Tonight’s ceremony reminds us … of Dr. Borlaug’s enduring belief that food security is the foundation of peace, prosperity and human dignity,” Reynolds said. “Each year, this ceremony brings together scientists, innovators and hunger fighters from around the world, people united with a single, but profound goal to ensure that every person in every nation has access to safe, affordable and nutritious food. This evening, we celebrate a scientist whose work embodies that mission.”

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, and CEO of the World Food Prize, noted Hungria’s groundbreaking work, passion, persistence and belief in farmers.

“[It] has inspired all of us to keep pushing forward with the common knowledge and the common cause in our fight against hunger,” he said. “Your dedication reminds us, and your commitment reminds us of why this prize exists.”

Vilsack also thanked Hungria’s grandmother for giving her the book on scientists. 

“She actually read it and absorbed it and was inspired by it,” he said.