PRIZES IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

It seems to me that a lot of people working for donor organizations see money as the only incentive. In the scientific community, recognition by peers and by the larger community are seen as powerful incentives. The Nobel Prize is perhaps the most famous form of scientific recognition. In the development community there are also prizes that carry a lot of prestige. Two of their websites are linked below.

It has been noted that markets are institutions that must be understood in terms of knowledge. Prices provide information on the supply and demand for goods and services. Markets also work best when the information provided by buyers and sellers is warranted to be true. In the scientific community, professional societies also institutionalize such information. Thus publication of results in a respected, peer-reviewed journal warrants their validity. I suppose the prize process to some degree helps institutionalize such trust. The Prize warrants the credability of the laureate, and indeed the short-lists of distinguished nominees also warrants their importance.

The World Food Prize
The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing -- without regard to race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs -- the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The winner of the Prize currently receives US$250,000. The 2002 World Food Prize Laureate was Dr. Pedro A. Sanchez. One or two prizes per year have been awarded annually since 1987.

The King Baudouin International Development Prize
The Prize for outstanding efforts in the field of International Development was established to help foster mutual support throughout the world both for ethical reasons and to contribute to world stability. The recipient of this Prize, with a value of € 150,000, and awarded every other year since 1980, is chosen by the Board of Governors of the King Baudouin Foundation.