A scientist who has led a global food safety movement that prevented millions of cases of foodborne illness, dismantled barriers to trade and humanitarian aid, and reduced food loss and waste has been named the 2026 World Food Prize Laureate.

Huub Lelieveld, a humanitarian and food safety expert from the Netherlands, has been recognized for leading a movement across 113 countries to deliver scientific evidence for modern regulations, legislation and international food safety standards.

The World Food Prize Foundation named Lelieveld the recipient of the $500,000 award today in New York.

“Today, we honor our 57th laureate, someone whose work affirms that the fight for food is never just about production,” World Food Prize Mashal Husain said in her announcement. “It’s about protection, access and dignity. Our laureate could have retired after a remarkable career at Unilever. He could have stepped back content with the accolades and achievements enough for many lifetimes. And yet, like Norman Borlaug, he chose to step forward, to fight for safety, for fairness, for every table where a child, family, community waits for their next meal. He saw a world where unsafe food threatens millions, where bureaucratic hurdles delay life-saving aid and where inconsistency and fear too often deny families the right to eat.”

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. It 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.

Instead of retiring at the age of 60 after a 40-year career as a food scientist for Unilever, Lelieveld established the Global Harmonization Initiative, also known as GHI, a global food safety organization that today connects more than 1,600 volunteer experts across a vast network of countries to advance science-based food safety and reduce barriers to the safe distribution of food worldwide.

Unsafe food causes 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths each year around the globe and inconsistent or politically driven food safety standards disrupt trade by delaying shipments, destroying safe produce at borders and raising trade costs, a news release said. 

 Under Lelieveld’s leadership, GHI efforts have been critical to streamlining food trade and enhancing food security and access around the world. In Kenya, GHI recommendations were adopted into national legislation in 2023, requiring food companies to employ certified food safety professionals.

GHI has also played a key role in standardizing and depoliticizing food irradiation, a technology that prevents millions of foodborne illness cases annually while reducing food waste by extending shelf life, and training more than 4,000 professionals to lead safe food production in their own countries.

Born in The Hague during World War II, Lelieveld’s first job was working in his father’s Indonesian-style food products factory. After earning a degree in electrical engineering from The Hague University of Applied Sciences, he joined Unilever as a researcher. Over the course of his career, he challenged conventional food safety practices, pioneering innovations that reduce food waste, contamination risks and the reliance on excess salt, sugar and preservatives, establishing industry-wide standards still in use today. His work resulted in 11 patents and more than 1,000 contributions to Unilever’s scientific database.

“I grew up right after the fearful years of Nazi oppression came to an end, in a liberated country with a renewed spirit of solidarity,” said Lelieveld in a prepared statement. “There was much work to be done, and no time to complain. Besides a hands-on, optimistic approach on life in general, I developed some life-long rules, like a focus on helping others — instead of serving yourself.”

Lelieveld has also led a series of initiatives addressing challenges in global food systems. He spearheaded the creation of an international alert and whistleblowing network that enables experts in more than 100 countries to detect and respond to emerging food safety threats within 48 hours to help prevent isolated incidents from escalating.

Additionally, he has authored and co-authored 16 widely translated books that have influenced curricula and regulatory reform, and are used by universities and food companies.

“He has saved countless lives and ensured that safe, nutritious food can reach people who need it most,” Vilsack said. “His vision and persistence continue to transform food systems worldwide.”

Lelieveld will receive the award during the annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue set this year for Oct. 20-22 in Des Moines.