Malala Yousafzai addresses food security and girls' education in Iowa

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai spoke at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, discussing the intersection of global food security and girls' education. During the 40th annual World Food Prize conference, Yousafzai highlighted how families in developing nations often face a difficult trade-off between feeding their children and providing education for daughters.

Yousafzai noted that poverty and food insecurity frequently lead to girls being pulled out of school for child labor or early marriage to reduce the family's economic burden. She emphasized that educating girls is a fundamental human right and a key driver for long-term food security through increased future income. She also noted the work of activists in countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Brazil who are fighting for gender-inclusive education policies and against child marriage.

The conference, which drew over 1,500 participants from 65 countries, also honored food safety researcher Huub Lelieveld of the Netherlands with the 2026 World Food Prize for his contributions to global food safety standards.