On the occasion of its 39th anniversary, the World Food Prize Foundation has released the list of Top Agri-Food Pioneers for 2025. One of these recipients from 27 countries is prominent Bangladeshi industrialist Abdul Awal Mintoo.
The award was given for leading the change in the field of agriculture and global food security.
Mintoo, chairman of Multimode Group, received the award for seed production.
According to World Food Prize Foundation’s official statement, until the 1990s, Bangladesh faced poor seed production and supply, resulting in low yields. Recognizing the need for quality seeds to enhance food security, Abdul Awal, chairman of Multimode Group, established Lal Teer Seed Limited in 1995.
The company now supplies 30% of Bangladesh’s seed demand.
To improve nutrition and income for marginal farmers, Awal initiated crop diversification by introducing vegetables into rice-based systems. To break the cycle of poverty, smallholders need access to high-quality seeds that boost yields and incomes.
In 2011, Awal expanded Lal Teer, establishing Lal Teer Livestock Development Limited to improve meat and milk production, producing quality semen from genetically superior bulls for sustainable artificial insemination.
Awal’s extensive interaction with farmers through gatherings and knowledge-sharing programs has improved livestock productivity.
His relentless efforts to enhance food and nutrition security have made him an iconic figure in Bangladesh’s agriculture sector, the statement added.
