Lester R. Brown is an American environmental analyst, founder of the Worldwatch Institute, and founder and former president of the Earth Policy Institute. He is a well-known author and speaker on issues related to global sustainability and has written more than 50 books on topics such as world food security, population growth, and climate change. Brown is a graduate of Rutgers University and has a Master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Maryland. He began his career as a farmer and agricultural economist, working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the International Rice Research Institute. In 1974, he founded the Worldwatch Institute, a research organization focused on analyzing global environmental and social trends. He served as the institute’s president until 2001 and then founded the Earth Policy Institute in 2001. Brown is a recipient of numerous awards for his work, including the United Nations’ Global 500 Roll of Honor and the Blue Planet Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Italy. He is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Brown’s books, including “Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization” and “World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse” have been translated into many languages and widely read around the world.