Marc Van Montagu of Belgium, and Mary-Dell Chilton and Robert T. Fraley of the United States were awarded the 2013 World Food Prize in a ceremony at the US State Department. Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize, praised the impact and potential of the scientists’ work. “These three scientists are being recognized for their independent, individual breakthrough achievements in founding, developing, and applying modern agricultural biotechnology,” Quinn said. “Their research is making it possible for farmers to grow crops with improved yields, resistance to insects and disease, and the ability to tolerate extreme variations in climate.”