Tony Blair, Howard G. Buffett, And Ritu Sharma To Chair "40 Chances" Panel At World Food Prize

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ambassador Kenneth Quinn announced today at the World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony, which was hosted by the U.S. Department of State, the launch of a new dialogue for this October's World Food Prize Symposium.

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The panel is titled "40 Chances," a term which represents the number of growing seasons that a farmer can expect during his or her lifetime. With the theme of "Redefining the Fight Against Hunger, Poverty, and Suffering," this discussion will bring together former Prime Minister and Founder of the Africa Governance Initiative Tony Blair, Howard G. Buffett, farmer and President of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and Ritu Sharma, co-founder and President of Women Thrive Worldwide.

As the hosts of this special World Food Prize session, Blair, Buffett, and Sharma will bring together some of the world's leading experts working to solve global food security challenges facing our world over the next forty years.  As part of this open and honest discussion on the drivers of food security, including aid effectiveness, trade, private sector investment, and technological innovation, the panel will also announce new joint programming designed to foster market-based solutions for addressing global challenges related to hunger, poverty, and conflict.

The Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative provides practical support to leaders in Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and South Sudan, in order to bridge the gap between their vision for a better future and their government's ability to achieve it. AGI does this by strengthening the government's capacity to deliver programs that will change ordinary people's lives for the better, from public services and rural development to infrastructure and job creation. Learn more at www.africagovernance.org.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation works to improve the quality of life for the world's most impoverished and marginalized populations. This fall the foundation is launching "40 Chances," a series of innovative programs supporting market-based solutions to global food security challenges. Based in Decatur, Illinois, the Foundation is led by President Howard G. Buffett. To learn more visit www.40Chances.com, and www.thehowardgbuffettfoundation.org.

Women Thrive Worldwide partners with women around the world to develop and advocate for the solutions that women identify for addressing poverty, food security, and inequality.  Women Thrive's unique program brings the voices of local women directly to policymakers in Washington, DC. This groundbreaking organization also supports local organizations in developing their own advocacy capacity and builds powerful coalitions to advance the interests of the women and girls that Women Thrive serves. Learn more at www.womenthrive.org.

SOURCE The Howard G. Buffett Foundation