The mission of the Yara Prize is to contribute to the transformation of African agriculture and food availability within a sustainable context, thereby helping to reduce hunger and poverty.

The Yara Prize can be awarded to any individual or identifiable group of individuals, as well as to established institutions, associations, organizations or government bodies with a formal and recognized judicial and organizational structure, contributing to the overall goals of the prize.

The prize can be awarded to any qualified candidate irrespective of nationality, profession or location whose work and contributions deriving from the work have had a clear impact on the African situation nationally, regionally or for the continent.

The prize can be awarded with reference to a specific contribution or achievement, or a series of efforts and results, recently or in the past or over a period of time – judged as viable and in accordance with acknowledged principles of sustainability.

Current or recent members of the Yara Prize Committee, or an institution/organization headed by such a member, are ineligible for the prize. The prize cannot be awarded to a person already deceased, but will be presented in the event a prizewinner dies before receiving the prize.

The prize can be awarded to more than one winner but not more than two. If shared, each winner will receive equal prize money, a diploma and a trophy.

Nomination criteria The Yara Prize can be awarded to any qualified candidate or candidates recognized for their contributions to reducing hunger and poverty in Africa. The Yara Prize shall have a focus on food: The improvement of food production and availability and the development of local markets in Africa, as a contribution to reducing hunger and poverty.

The prize recognizes such efforts and results in any field of work clearly related to combating hunger, improving health and reducing poverty in Africa, within every aspect of agriculture and food production supporting the development of both the input and the output market, particularly:

African food systems: Agricultural productivity, soil fertility and protection, water management

African food security: Food production and availability, distribution systems and creation of local markets, human nutrition

African sustainable agriculture: National policies and politics to enhance awareness of the importance of agricultural inputs (such as seeds and fertilizers) and promote sustainable food production methods

Nomination deadline: April 1 The nomination process for the 2010 Yara Prize starts with the submission of written nominations to the Yara Prize Secretariat by April 1, 2010. The Yara Prize Secretariat then assists the prize committee in screening and selecting candidates. The name of the 2010 Yara Prize Winner will be announced in June.

The Yara Prize Committee chooses the prizewinner by unanimous vote. The committee has absolute authority and its decisions cannot be overruled or appealed.

Evaluation The Yara Prize will honor outstanding contributions within any of the qualifying fields of activity, based on the board’s research into and deliberations of the nominees’ work and an evaluation of their achievements.

The Yara Prize Committee will particularly emphasize proven, tangible results and value creation derived from the nominees’ work, directly or indirectly, with regard to improvement of food production and food security in Africa. The committee will also emphasize the value of the nominees’ achievements with regard to visionary thinking, their role as motivator and rallying point in the campaign against hunger and poverty, as well as their inclination to share knowledge and cooperate.

The Yara Prize Committee will also consider the circumstances under which the work has been carried out and results achieved, judging the complexity of the problem and the difficulties, hostilities or prejudices encountered.

Guidelines for submitting nominations To be eligible for the prize, a nomination must be submitted in writing, in English or French. Please use our nomination guidelines to ensure that we can properly evaluate your nomination. All nominations and supporting documentation must be received by April 1, 2010.

All nominations are confidential and the identity of the nominator or nominating organization will be kept in confidence.

Nominations should be sent to:
The Yara Prize 2010
Attn: Camilla Nyhuus Christensen
Address: Yara Prize Secretariat, Bygdøy Allé 2, N-0202 Oslo, Norway

Tel: +47 24 15 70 00
Fax: +47 24 15 75 12

e-mail: yara.prize@yara.com