A Brazilian soil microbiologist credited with improving crop yields, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, and helping her country become a breadbasket for the world has won the 2025 World Food Prize.
Mariangela Hungria has developed dozens of biological seed and soil treatments that help crops source nutrients through soil bacteria in environmentally sustainable ways. For more than 40 years, she has worked with Embrapa, the state-run Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, helping farmers substitute nitrogen-based fertilizers with microbial products that are cheaper and just as effective.
The prestigious World Food Prize is awarded annually to an individual or individuals whose work has improved the quality, quantity, or availability of food worldwide. Known as the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture, it also comes with $500,000 for Hungria to continue her research.
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Tania Karas@TaniaKaras
Tania Karas is a Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development and humanitarian aid in the Americas. Previously, she managed the digital team for The World, where she oversaw content production for the website, podcast, newsletter, and social media platforms. Tania also spent three years as a foreign correspondent in Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, covering the Syrian refugee crisis and European politics. She started her career as a staff reporter for the New York Law Journal, covering immigration and access to justice.
