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2012 George McGovern Leadership Award

Honoring Three Champions in Solving Global Hunger

On October 3, 2012 World Food Program USA, in partnership with U.S. Department of State, held its 11^th Annual George McGovern Leadership Awards Ceremony. This year’s honorees, David Novak, Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands and Christina Aguilera, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Ambassador Against Hunger with the George McGovern Leadership Award have made a tremendous difference in the lives of hungry children all over the world. WFP USA also paid special tribute to Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton for her unprecedented commitment to improving global food security.

Photo: Paul Morigi/AP Images for Yum! Brands, Inc

“As a woman and mother, I’m honored to receive this award and be part of the global effort to solve hunger,” said Christina Aguilera. “For just 25 cents a day, we can feed a child in school and be part of the solution. In my travels with the World Food Programme, I've seen firsthand how that meal changes the life of a child. It’s the stories I’ve heard and the people I’ve met through World Food Programme that I carry with me every day.”

Novak has made considerable contributions to the fight against hunger through the company’s Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief effort that raises awareness, volunteerism and funds for the World Food Programme and others, with Christina Aguilera as global spokesperson. World Hunger Relief is operated throughout Yum!’s 38,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in more than 120 countries and is the world’s largest private-sector hunger relief initiative. The effort has raised $115 million for WFP and others, providing 460 million meals to hungry children around the globe—for school meals to emergencies, from Haiti to the Horn of Africa.

Special guest, Halimah Saleh, a Tanzanian agronomist, introduced Secretary Clinton and spoke of how Clinton’s leadership has impacted her country stating, “her commitment and forward thinking in agriculture has touched the lives of smallholder farmers—and many families—throughout the country.” Saleh met Clinton at a small women’s farming cooperative in rural Tanzania last year. “I was impressed very much by not only the way she listened to the farmers but also that she saw potential in the fertile valley she visited. This sent a message that she believed in their ability to grow more crops, increase their economic earnings, and provide a better future for our children,” said Saleh.

Under Secretary Clinton’s leadership, the United States has been a global force in tackling hunger and advancing the goals of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s food security initiative, which supports investments to develop the agricultural sector of partner countries to spur broad-based economic growth and improve nutrition. “We cannot accept a world in which children go hungry simply because of where they were born,” said Secretary Clinton. Watch her full remarks here: http://t.co/DV5rJ70p

“World Food Program USA believes hunger is the world’s most solvable problem," said Rick Leach, WFP USA President and CEO. “Thanks to the efforts of David and Christina and the leadership of Secretary Clinton, not only are we closer to reaching that goal, but we’re reaching and inspiring a new generation to work alongside us in our fight.”

After accepting their awards, Novak and Aguilera joined Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, for a round table discussion on the power of government and corporate partnerships to address food security globally. “The World Food Program reports as well on impact and results as any company,” remarked Shah.

WFP USA is grateful to our corporate, foundation and individual partners, without whose support this event would not be possible. Learn more about the 2012 Award Ceremony sponsors.