Beckmann, an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and head of the Washington-based advocacy group Bread for the World, shares the 2010 award with Luck, president of Heifer International, an Arkansas-based charity also dedicated to alleviating global hunger.
The two organizations were lauded for “the critical efforts of NGOs in mobilizing and empowering everyday citizens to end hunger in communities around the world.”
The laureates were honored for their “landmark achievements in building two of the world’s foremost grassroots organizations leading the charge to end hunger and poverty for millions of people around the world.”
Both Bread for the World and Heifer International have strong ties with U.S. church denominations and other faith groups.
The World Food Prize was founded by the late Norman Borlaug, a noted U.S. agronomist and Nobel Peace Prize lauraeate, who himself was a Lutheran.
Beckmann is the first ordained minister to win the honor. He also once worked for the World Bank. He has been president of U.S.-based Bread for the World since 1991, and trained as an economist.
Beckmann and Luck will receive their awards in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 14.
