picture of Roger Thurow

About the Author

Roger Thurow joined The Chicago Council on Global Affairs as senior fellow for global agriculture and food policy in January 2010 after three decades at The Wall Street Journal.   For 20 years, he served as a Journal foreign correspondent, based in Europe and Africa.  His coverage of global affairs spanned the Cold War, the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany, the release of Nelson Mandela, the end of apartheid, the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the humanitarian crises of the first decade of this century – along with 10 Olympic Games.

In 2003, he and Journal colleague Scott Kilman wrote a series of stories on famine in Africa that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting.  Their reporting on humanitarian and development issues was also honored by the United Nations.  Thurow and Kilman are authors of the book, ENOUGH: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty

In 2009, they were awarded Action Against Hunger’s Humanitarian Award.  They also received the 2009 Harry Chapin Why Hunger book award.

In May 2012, Thurow published his second book, The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change.  He is currently working on his third book on food and nutrition security.

Roger Thurow graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA  in Journalism and Political Science. He lives in the Chicago area with his family.