My non-privileged background paved the way for who I am today: Swati Nayak

"All my life I have mostly worked in farm and rural livelihood sectors with direct engagement with men and women farmers", she said

Swati Nayak, scientist and South Asia lead for Seed System and Product Management at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has been named the 2023 recipient of the Norman E Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation. Nayak, only the third Indian to get the award that honours scientists below 40 years of age, has been recognised for her innovative approach in engaging with smallholder farmers in rice seed systems.

In 2021, through Nayak’s efforts, women-led enterprises were able to produce, distribute, and sell approximately 8.5 metric tonnes of seeds to quality farmers, more than 40