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Prof. Martin Broadley wins Rank Prize for Nutrition 2026
2026 Rank Prize for Nutrition awarded to Professor Martin Broadley and Professor David E. Salt FRSE for their pioneering work on elemental profiling to improve soil and crop quality, enhancing nutrition and health outcomes for people worldwide.
Professor David E. Salt and Professor Martin Broadley are the winners of the prestigious 2026 Rank Prize for Nutrition. Fusing advances in high-throughput elemental profiling with genetics, their ground-breaking research has revealed how plants accumulate mineral nutrients and trace elements from the soil. Their research is transforming dietary interventions in low and middle-income countries, through profiling soil and crop quality, to enhance nutrition and health outcomes. Founded in 1972 by the British industrialist and philanthropist Lord J. Arthur Rank, the Rank Prize is awarded biennially in the fields of nutrition and optoelectronics. The Prize will be awarded formally at an event in London in June 2026.
Martin said “I am deeply honoured to receive this award with David, which reflects the dedication and collaboration of an outstanding team of colleagues and partners over the past two decades. Addressing hidden hunger through improving crop nutrition, in the context of more nutritionally aware agricultural and food systems, remain global priorities, and this recognition underscores the vital role of science in building these more sustainable and resilient futures. I look forward to continuing our work to deliver solutions that improve health and livelihoods of people worldwide”.
Micronutrient deficiencies—often termed “hidden hunger”—affect billions of people worldwide, particularly in regions where diets are dominated by staple crops low in essential minerals, notably in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Professors David E. Salt and Martin Broadley have led pioneering research to understand the dynamics of mineral elements in soils and plants, with a particular focus on improving the content of essential mineral nutrients in food crops and the impact on human health.
Martin has focused on translating the fundamental understanding of mineral elements in soils and crops into practical agricultural interventions and surveillance. His work spans soil and crop sciences through to nutrition and public health, with a strong emphasis on biofortification: using agronomic and genetic approaches to increase the concentration of essential nutrients in edible crops. His collaborations in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have supported the development of regionally adapted crop varieties and farming practices that improve dietary mineral intake.
Professors Salt and Broadley have demonstrated that improving the mineral content of food crops is not only scientifically feasible but also socially and economically impactful. Their research has informed national and international strategies to combat micronutrient deficiencies, including the use of micronutrient-enriched fertilizers in Malawi and the development of zinc-rich wheat varieties for South Asia. Their work is helping to shape food systems that are more resilient, equitable and health-promoting.
Contacts
Prof. Martin Broadley
Science Director
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Rothamsted Research is the longest-running agricultural research institute in the world. We work from gene to field with a proud history of ground-breaking
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The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established in 1889 by Sir John Bennet Lawes, supports Rothamsted Research’s national and international agricultural science through the provision of land, facilities and funding. LAT, a charitable trust, owns the estates at Harpenden and Broom's Barn, including many of the buildings used by Rothamsted Research. LAT provides an annual research grant to the Director, accommodation for nearly 200 people, and support for fellowships for young scientists from developing countries. LAT also makes capital grants to help modernise facilities at Rothamsted, or invests in new buildings.