Globe Award 2009: Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, NARI, wins the Globe Sustainability Research Award

STOCKHOLM, JUNE 3, 2009 - In tough competition with five prominent nominees the Indian research institute NARI, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, won the Globe Sustainability Research Award 2009. The award was presented to NARI's representative Director Anil Rajvanshi, by H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, at a ceremony in the Winter Garden of Grand Hotel in Stockholm, June 3rd.

The goal of the Globe Sustainability Research Award, this year presented for the third time, is to discover and encourage researchers and research institutes prominent in sustainability research. The jury for the Sustainability Research Award was chaired by Mohan Munasinghe, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2007 and Vice Chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Jury members are Dr. Mona Makram-Ebeld, former member of the Egyptian Parliament and Professor of Political Science at the American University, Cairo, Egypt; Fred Dubee, UN Global Compact, Senior Advisor working extensively in China and throughout Asia, and Tommy Borglund, Head of CSR services at Hallvarsson & Halvarsson Sweden.

"The Globe Sustainability Research Award was judged on several criteria, including originality, practicality, and contributions to humanity through economic gains, social development and environmental protection. The Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) project on development of a low grade ethanol filled cylinder, which provides energy to produce high quality light output in a lantern, as well as clean fuel for cooking systems, was the outstanding example of sustainability research, based on these criteria", says Mohan Munasinghe, Chairman of the Globe Sustainability Research Award jury.

"We are delighted to receive this prestigious International Award at the hands of HRH Crown Princess Victoria. This award recognises and confirms NARI's philosophy that high tech solutions based on local resources can be developed by a rural organization and are appropriate to solving the basic problems of rural areas of the world", says Anil Rajvanshi, Director of Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).

Globe Award's mission is to highlight and reward good cases and initiatives within sustainability research. A total of four jury groups, each with highly experienced and internationally recognized experts, has ensured that the most innovative and visionary innovators, scientists, cities and companies are highlighted. The Globe Award jury is chaired by Lars-Olle Larsson, Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Sweden.

For more information please contact:

Lars-Olle Larsson, Chairman of the Globe Award jury, Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers Sweden. Mobile: +46-709 29 39 83, e-mail: lars-olle.larsson@se.pwc.com

Martina Nee, Manager Globe Award, Globe Forum, Stockholm, Sweden, Mobile: +46-73 317 53 55, e-mail: martina.nee@globeforum.com 

About NARI
The Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has developed a light source which runs on locally produced fuel, is environmentally friendly and produces bright light equivalent to that from a 100 W electric bulb. This lantern also doubles up as a cooking stove thereby solving the twin problem of cooking and lighting for rural households. NARI is the first anywhere to propose and develop a dual purpose lantern running on 55-60% ethanol-water mixture. NARI is based in Maharashtra, India. http://www.nariphaltan.org/ 

About Globe Award
Globe Award was founded in 2007 in Sweden by the international business network and marketplace Globe Forum with the aim to support and encourage successful and innovative CSR work. Globe Award 2009 is acknowledging prominent researchers, innovators, cities and companies - from all parts of the world - within four categories Sustainability Research Award, Sustainability Innovation Award, Sustainable City Award and the Sustainability Reporting Award http://www.globeaward.org/, http://www.globeforum.com/.