Indian-American soil scientist Rattan Lal was named this year's recipient of the World Food Prize. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded his research in soil science, and shared that Lal is helping millions of small farmers around the world with his work on increasing food production and recycling nutrients. At 75, Dr Lal promotes a soil-centric approach to increase food production by conserving natural resources and mitigating climate change. Dr Lal has, in his career of over 50 years and across four continents, promoted innovative soil-saving techniques that benefited the livelihoods of more than 500 million smallholder farmers.