Peter Beaudoin hosts Yohana Tesfamariam Tekeste who is in New York at Columbia University.  Peter talks with Yohana about her work with small scale farmers in Africa and how weather based index insurance is being used as a climate adaptation tool against severe drought.

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-141-transcription

Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.

Host: Peter Beaudoin Peter manages strategy and partnerships for an innovative alliance of energy companies committed to reducing environmental impacts through collaborative R&D efforts. Peter worked for more than 20 years in Asia building and investing in a variety of businesses. His most recent role outside of Canada was with the World Wildlife Fund, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of WWF China, based in Beijing. Prior to that, Peter lived in Hong Kong for 15 years working in the technology industry.

Guest: Yohana Tesfamariam Tekeste is from Eritrea has a Masters in Biotechnology from Columbia University. She is currently working at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. She is focusing on forecast-based financing and weather-based index insurance projects, particularly on tool and process developments empowering stakeholders and decision-makers with climate information. She is also working on a research project examining the link between avian flu outbreaks in poultry and climate variables in Vietnam.  

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Show Quotes:

"I would hope that by that time, the insurance game will be a steady purchase that people, small household farmers can make, but there would be enough distribution of production and wealth over these communities that that would not be the primary source of their savings or the safety net that they would have."

"I would even say it should be less privatized and more public cause I think the people need to have more access to understand what are their financials. Uh, incentives their financial backing. They need to have a financial system"

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan