Scott Anderson

Watch the Replay of our Google Hangout with William Warshauer, TechnoServe’s New President & CEO

Scroll down to watch a replay of the Google Hangout session.

We know the numbers: By 2050 the globe will have 2.3 billion more mouths to feed. With people living much longer than ever before, farmers will need to produce 70 percent more food than they are today. How we drastically improve farmers’ yields, without drastically degrading the environment or diminishing their labor through stagnant wages, will be the defining challenge for global agriculture.

TechnoServe is a nonprofit that specializes in business-oriented solutions to development challenges, working extensively in agriculture. You’ve heard a lot from TechnoServe experts here on NextBillion, including a post just last week about outgrower farming models. So we’re glad to have the opportunity to host TechnoServe’s new president and CEO Will Warshauer, who has agreed to join us for our next Google Hangout here at NextBillion.

Please bookmark this post, which will be the location for the live webcast at noon EST on Friday, October 3.

We have lots of questions for Warshauer, but we really need our readers, particularly those of you immersed in the field of agricultural development, to help us out. Here is your opportunity to find out how TechnoServe is addressing many of these issues, and what the future role of smallholder farmers will be considering the growing demand for food worldwide. Please add your questions to the comment section below, tweet them to @NextBillion and/or @Technoserve, or send them to me via email: seander@umich.edu.

Below is a post from TechnoServe’s blog and a short video introducing Warshauer:

Today marks Will Warshauer’s first day as TechnoServe’s fourth president and CEO.

Will brings more than 25 years of experience in international development and the private sector to his position. He launched his career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone and has since worked in 40 developing countries. In his latest role, Will served as chief operating officer of Pact Inc., and as president of the Pact Global Microfinance Fund – one of the world’s largest microfinance institutions. Previously, he served as executive vice president for health and development solutions with Voxiva Inc., where he led the development of innovative, mobile phone-based health information systems. As a former executive vice president at PSI, Will led initiatives such as the development of the organization’s global strategic plan, and oversaw a $90 million portfolio of health programs in Africa.

“I have admired TechnoServe for many years and have been consistently impressed by the caliber of its staff and its cutting-edge approaches,” Will said. “Most of my career has been spent applying business solutions to development challenges, and I have seen firsthand the great leverage and power in that approach. Going forward, as more and more corporations look for shared value opportunities, and as foreign investment continues to dwarf official aid flows, TechnoServe’s mission and skills will be more relevant than ever.”

In his first few months, Warshauer will visit TechnoServe projects in Africa and Latin America and meet with corporate, government and foundation partners around the world. “I’m excited to visit TechnoServe programs and see the work firsthand. It will be a privilege to meet our staff and many of the hardworking women and men with whom we work.”

Google+ Hangout With William Warshauer, TechnoServe’s New President and CEO

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Agriculture
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smallholder farmers