What’s happening
In 2021-2022, the World Food Prize offered Borlaug-Ruan International internships to three Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduates, along with 20 others from across the country. Molly Simmons, a junior in environmental science and global resource systems, was one of them. She worked in Washington, D.C., for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which allocates funds to rural communities in other countries, helping small-holder farmers improve crop production and gain access to food markets.
Simmons spent her summer speaking to officials about IFAD’s Crisis Response Initiative, which helps provide relief to people directly affected by war, with a goal to find long-term solutions for global food insecurity. She also lobbied to support the United States Agency for International Development’s Feed the Future Initiatives.
Simmons believes teaching farmers about regenerative agriculture could be key to reducing global food insecurity, and she looks forward to applying her experience with IFAD to her education and career. On campus, she is involved with the International Association of Students in Agriculture and Related Sciences (IAAS). Although she had to step outside of her comfort zone at times, these experiences have developed her commitment to advocating for others.
CALS Team
- David Acker, Associate Dean, Global Engagement
- Carmen Bain, Associate Dean, Academic Innovation
- Shelley Taylor, Director of Global Programs
Funders/Other Partners
- World Food Prize Foundation Borlaug-Ruan International Interns
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- United States Agency for International Development