David Lobell honored with 2022 NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences

Earth system science Professor David Lobell has been awarded the 2022 Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

The honor recognizes a mid-career scientist who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. Lobell, a professor with Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth), has been honored for his groundbreaking work to address challenges in agriculture and the environment.

Lobell is the Gloria and Richard Kushel Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment, the William Wrigley Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.

His work, which has advanced the world’s understanding of the effects of climate variability and change on global crop productivity, involves the innovative application of remote sensing, statistics, ecosystem modeling and agronomy. Lobell’s research has shown how crops respond to global climate change and informed strategies to minimize the environmental impact of agriculture.

“Knowing if farmers are adapting well to climate stress, and which practices are most helpful, are key questions for our nation,” Lobell said about his research on corn crop sensitivity to drought.

He has also identified novel adaptations and investment opportunities for improving global food security, examined the impacts of COVID-19 on food insecurity and used artificial intelligence to track poverty in Africaover time.

He leads the Lobell Lab, a group of researchers with backgrounds in ecology, statistics, remote sensing and computer science, which aims to advance the science that guides investment in food security and crop productivity, and to effectively communicate this science to a broad audience.

“He continues to chart the path forward toward the next generation of interpreting satellite imagery to predict key sustainable development outcomes and improve our understanding of agriculture’s interface with the environment,” according to the award announcement from NAS.

Lobell will be honored in a ceremony during the National Academy of Sciences’ 159th annual meeting.

This story was adapted from a press release issued by the National Academy of Sciences.