116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Capitol Notebook: Former Gov. Terry Branstad to step down as head of World Food Prize
Also, Iowa airports call on U.S. senators to oppose bill that could impact travel rewards
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will retire as president of the World Food Prize Foundation at the end of January.
The foundation announced Tuesday that Branstad, the former U.S. ambassador to China and longtime Iowa Republican governor, will retire Jan. 31 from the Des Moines-based group that strives to alleviate world hunger and honors the work of international leaders for their efforts and achievements in global food security with an annual prize.
Each spring, the World Food Prize awards a $500,000 prize. Established in 1986 by Iowa native and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, the annual award recognizes individuals who have improved the quality, quantity or availability of food.
This year, Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin split the prize for their work to create a global seed vault built into the side of a mountain in Norway.
The World Food Prize also hosts an international symposium that attracts leading agricultural experts from around the world to discuss global food security. The foundation also hosts a youth institute for high school students to explore and solve hunger and food security issues, as well as the Iowa Hunger Summit.
Borlaug was a leader in the “Green Revolution,” developing wheat varieties resistant to disease and that could adapt to a range of growing conditions.
Branstad has led the World Food Prize Foundation since February 2023, and championed the organization as governor from its early days and its emphasis on youth education efforts, according to a news release.
Mashal Husain, chief operating officer of The World Food Prize Foundation, will become president, and the foundation will conduct a global search for a newly created chief executive role focused on organizational leadership and global diplomacy.
Branstad, in a statement, said Husain has been “instrumental in advancing” the foundation’s mission.
“Mashal’s deep understanding of the global challenges we face and her commitment to sustainable solutions make her an exceptional leader for the Foundation’s next chapter,” he said.
Husain said she is committed to advancing “bold innovations, expand global partnerships and inspire the next generation to build sustainable, resilient food systems for a world that needs it more than ever.”
Airports: Legislation would adversely affect Iowa tourism
Directors of The Eastern Iowa Airport and Waterloo Regional Airport recently sent letters to Iowa U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst urging them to oppose federal legislation they argue would stifle Iowa’s travel and tourism industry by reducing or eliminating credit card travel rewards and loyalty programs.
The Credit Card Competition Act would prohibit certain credit card issuers with assets of more than $100 billion from restricting the number of networks on which electronic credit card transactions may be processed. Supporters, including the National Retail Foundation, said it would bring more competition to the credit card market and lower swipe fees.
The retail foundation argues Visa and MasterCard dominate the credit card market, setting high swipe fee rates with large banks. This system results in merchants paying high fees that get passed on to customers. Large banks, travel groups and airlines warn credit card issuers may cut back on rewards programs and partnerships with airline loyalty programs to make up for reduced income from swipe fees if the measure passes.
Iowa airports say consumers may take fewer leisure trips because their spending may not earn as many miles, adversely affecting Iowa’s $10 billion tourism industry.
Grassley and Ernst have not publicly stated their position on the legislation, which received a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, introduced the bill in June 2023, but have been unable to gather many cosponsors. A companion bill in the House has failed to make much headway.
Grassley submitted the airport directors’ letters into the Congressional Record during Tuesday’s hearing, per their request.
“Sen. Grassley appreciates receiving Iowans’ input. He looks forward to seeing the Credit Card Competition Act move through regular order and go before the Senate Banking Committee — its committee of jurisdiction — before being considered by the broader Senate,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Ernst’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday.
The Eastern Iowa Airport Director Marty Lenss, in a letter to the Republican senators, said the bill would suppress travel and tourism.
Lenss states that Airlines for America, the leading trade organization for major U.S. airlines, estimated frequent flyer miles earned through credit card rewards programs funded more than 26,000 domestic air travelers to Iowa.
“In 2022, these visitors to Iowa supported over $36 million in economic activity, 342 jobs, and just under $10 million in payroll,” Lenss wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
Daily Newsletters