John Boyd Orr was born in Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, on 23 September 1880. He became a doctor and nutrition researcher whose work linked poverty, diet, and health, and he later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign against hunger.

Boyd Orr studied at the University of Glasgow and initially trained as a teacher. After working in schools, he returned to the university to study biology and medicine. In 1913 he was appointed to lead a new institute for animal nutrition research in Aberdeen, which later developed into the Rowett Research Institute.

His research gradually moved from animal to human nutrition. In 1936, he published Food, Health and Income, examining whether British families at different income levels could afford an adequate diet. His work demonstrated a close relationship between low income and poor nutrition.

During the Second World War, Boyd Orr served on the government’s Scientific Committee on Food Policy and contributed to wartime nutrition policy. In 1945, he became the first Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949 for his work against hunger and his argument that adequate food and better health were necessary foundations for peace.