The World Food Prize Youth Institute was established in 1994 by the World Food Prize Foundation, an international organization headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug and Iowa businessman and philanthropist John Ruan, the primary goal of the Institute is to increase student awareness of the United States’ current role and future potential in helping the people of the world have access to a nutritious and sustainable food supply. As an extension of the Youth Institute, the World Food Prize Borlaug-Ruan Summer Internship Programme offers students the opportunity to work at research centers around the world for 8 weeks during their summer break. The Foundation stresses the uniqueness of this program from other “study abroad” internship programmes in that the students participate in research projects with world-renowned researchers while getting a first-hand view of real and pressing food security issues and nutritional problems in poverty stricken areas. The student becomes an integral part of the project spending time in the lab as well as days or weeks at a time in the field conducting research and gathering data. The goal of the Summer Internship Programme is to inspire youth to pursue careers in food, agricultural and natural resource disciplines.Since the year 2000, four high school students have participated, for an eight-week hands-on working experience with Prof. Z.R. Khan, Push-Pull programme leader, at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Kenya.

Anthony Wenndt, 2011 An analysis of climate change and its Impacts on smallholder 'Push-Pull' farmers in western Kenya “In these times of unprecedented climatic, economic, and environmental uncertainty, maintaining efficient, sustainable, and innovative agricultural operations has become a major concern for area farmers, and icipe’s promotion of Push-Pull technology has effectively begun to encourage agricultural success and food security among farmers.” Sydney Schrider, 2010 Impact of Push-Pull technology, gender, and irrigation on food security in rural Kenya “It was interesting to note that, the women Push-Pull farmers I interviewed had been practicing Push-Pull for a longer time than men…, I also learnt that fellow female farmers and farmer teachers are able to empower females farmers. One such example is Mama Sarah Obama, President Barack Obama’s grandmother, who is a successful Push-Pull farmer and has taught many women in Kogelo, her small village on the benefits of the technology” Anne Seccor, 2006 Role of women groups in the dissemination of Push-Pull technology in western Kenya “When I asked farmers to give their recommendations for improving the rate of transmittance of Push-Pull technology information, the number one answer suggested by farmers was to spread information through groups, which is considered a sort of “melting pot” for methods of transmitting Push-Pull technology information; nearly all farmers are involved in some sort of community-based group”. Megan Srinivas, 2004 Influence of education on household food security in rural Africa. “As the number of years of education of the farmer increased, the more likely it became that the farmer had utilized the ‘Push-Pull’ technology for a longer duration of time and utilizing the various components of the technology has helped to drastically increase the overall resource-efficiency of farmers” Megan received the Chrystal Award for her outstanding work Bian Li, 2000 Influence of culture and gender on household food security "Farmers in the area are subsistence farmers, they do not have the capital resources to obtain certain inputs, such as chemical pesticides, to control Striga problem, many use simple, ineffective techniques, such as the use of farmyard manure (cow dung) and constant weeding. This is where the Push-Pull technology steps in” Bian also received the Chrystal Award for her outstanding work

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