The Virginia Tech College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Global Programs Office will host best-selling author Roger Thurow as part of its Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative.

Africa's small farmers are living and working essentially as they did in the 1930s. Without mechanized equipment, fertilizer, or irrigation; using primitive storage facilities, roads, and markets; they harvest only one-quarter the yields of Western farmers. In 2011, a group of farmers in Kenya came together to change their odds for success -- and their families' futures. Roger Thurow spent a year following the progress of four women farmers in this community and recorded their struggles and aspirations in his book, The Last Hunger Season. He will share the stories of these remarkable women and their determination to end the hunger season. His presentation will be followed by a panel discussion about the challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers in Africa.

Location:	Fralin Hall Auditorium
Contact:	Ann Steensland anns@vt.edu 540-231-3990
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