以色列裔美籍科學家Daniel Hillel博士發明了一種新方法灌溉乾旱地區的作物，並因此在12日於美國國務院獲頒2012年世界糧食獎（World Food Prize）。
世界糧食獎基金會（World Food Prize Foundation）主席Kenneth Quinn大使宣布受獎者的名字，受獎者將在十月正式獲得25萬美元的獎金。
Quinn表示，「來自以色列的科學家，令人尊敬的Daniel Hillel博士，為中東地區做出了開創性貢獻，徹底改變了在該地區和世界各地的糧食生產。博士通過一種被稱為微灌（micro-irrigation）的技術，為最大限度提高農業用水效率奠定了基礎，並已影響了數百萬人。」
Quinn強調，不僅因為Hillel博士在科學上成就，更重要的是他跨越國界的奉獻精神，幫助改善了所有人的糧食安全。
Hillel博士表示，雖然他很高興能獲獎，但為人類提供水和食物的緊迫工作仍然尚未完成。
1951年，在紐澤西羅格斯大學（Rutgers University）完成地球科學碩士學位後，Hillel博士去到以色列，以幫助這個年輕的國家。他參與該國土地與水資源的調查工作，並是第一個內傑威高地（Negev Highlands）居住地斯德伯克（Sde Boker）的創始成員。
他的研究已經改變了當時常用的灌溉方式。在20世紀前半，農民通常週期性地使用大量的水，在短時間內浸泡各自的農地，但隨後則是更長時間的土壤乾燥期。
由Hillel博士構思並發展的新方法以小水量，但持續且直接地對作物根部進行供水，節約多餘的水量，持續性維持作物的健康，並產生更高的產量，以養活更多人。
透過聯合國糧食及農業組織（UN Food and Agriculture Organization）的推動，Hillel博士水資源管理概念已經散播到世界各地，並在全球超過600萬公頃的土地上使用。
結合複雜的科學原理、實用的設計與農民、社團、研究人員和30多個國家農業政策制定者的推廣，Hillel博士已影響了數百萬人的生活。
10月18日在德梅因（Des Moines）愛荷華州議會的第26屆年度獎得主頒獎典禮上，Hillel博士將被授與世界糧食獎。典禮將結合主題為「夥伴關係和優先順序：改善全球糧食安全」之博洛格論壇（Borlaug Dialogue）國際專題討論會。
世界糧食獎是由諾貝爾和平獎得主Norman Borlaug博士於1987年所創立，乃是表彰個人在增加世界糧食供應的品質、數量及可得性等方面，有標誌性貢獻之重要國際獎項。
Dr. Daniel Hillel, an Israeli-American scientist who created an innovative way of bringing water to crops in arid regions was named the winner of the 2012 World Food Prize in a ceremony today at the U.S. State Department.
Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, announced the name of the recipient, who will be formally presented with the $250,000 award in October.
"This year we honor Dr. Daniel Hillel, a scientist from Israel, for his pioneering work in the Middle East that revolutionized food production in that region and around the world," Quinn said. "Dr. Hillel laid the foundation for maximizing efficient water usage in agriculture through a method known as micro-irrigation, which has impacted millions of lives."
Quinn emphasized the importance not only of Dr. Hillel's scientific achievement but also his dedication to working with people across borders, to help improve food security for all.
While he is pleased to have received the award, Dr. Hillel said the urgent work of providing water and food for humanity is by no means finished.
In 1951, after earning a master's degree in earth sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey, he went to Israel to help in the young state's development. He took part in surveying the country's land and water resources and was a founding member of Sde Boker, the first settlement in the Negev Highlands.
His research has led to a shift from what was then the prevailing method of irrigation. In the first half of the 20th century, farmers typically applied large amounts of water in brief periodic episodes of flooding to saturate their fields, followed by longer periods of manufactured drought to dry out the soil.
The new methods conceived and developed by Dr. Hillel applied water in small but continuous amounts directly to plant roots, cutting the amount of water needed to nourish crops, maintaining their consistent health and resulting in higher crop yields to feed more people.
Promoted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr. Hillel's water management conceptshave spread around the world and are now used on more than six million hectares worldwide.
By integrating complex scientific principles, designing practical applications and achieving wide outreach to farmers, communities, researchers and agricultural policymakers in more than 30 countries, Dr. Hillel has impacted the lives of millions.
Dr. Hillel will be formally awarded the World Food Prize at the 26th Annual Laureate Award Ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on October 18, in conjunction with the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium, themed "Partnership and Priorities: Transforming the Global Food Security Agenda."
The World Food Prize was created in 1987 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug, and is the foremost international award recognizing individuals who have contributed landmark achievements in increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
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