BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota (July 27, 2019)—Lindi Botha of South Africa was recognized by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) with the Star Prize for Print, the organization’s honor for the best article in its worldwide competition. The award was announced at IFAJ’s World Congress in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Judges said Botha’s article for Farmer’s Weekly, “Growing Tomorrow’s Farmers: A Win-Win for a Top Fruit Producer and a Commodity,” is “a brilliant presentation” and “insightful, well-written and provoking.” She was presented with a trophy and a prize of €500.
“Lindi Botha deftly handled a complicated story, turning a narrative that could have been bogged down in minutiae or politics into a fast-reading narrative that detailed a remarkable cooperation,” said Steve Werblow, secretary-general of IFAJ. “Her work is a wonderful illustration of the ability of a great writer to bring her readers along with her to explore the diverse aspects of the agriculture industry.”
Henrik Lomholt Rasmussen of Denmark was also honored at the ceremony with a runner up award for his article, “This Is Why the Romanian Assistants Stay Home,” which was published in LandbrugsAvisen. Rasmussen’s award is accompanied by a €250 prize.
The IFAJ Star Prize contest program is sponsored by John Deere and Rabobank. Judges of the Star Prize for Print included Busani Bafana of Zimbabwe, who writes for IPS and Thompson Reuters; Liz Harfull, a freelancer in Australia; and Greg Lamp, former editor of C Magazine and Corn and Soybean Digest in the U.S.
