In November 2000 it was announced that the University of Greenwich has been awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize of Higher and Further Education for the work of NRI on "Food Security in the Developing World: Practical Projects, Education and Training."

The formal citation read: "The work of the Natural Resources Insitute in the field of sustainable food security is of international renown. Its practical projects together with its educational and training programmes have brought huge benefit, making a real difference to the lives of thousands of people in developing countries and ensuring that its multidisciplinary expertise is shared widely."