Could the hottest job of the future be...farming? In the next decade, 1.2 billion people globally will age into the labor force, but there will not be enough existing jobs waiting for them. The world's population is expected to climb to 10 billion by 2050, creating a need for at least 60% more food production than we currently have. At the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings, the bank's President Ajay Banga announced a plan that attempts to tackle both while also creating more sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture. The World Bank is doubling financial commitments for agribusiness and farming, totaling $9 billion by 2030. GZERO's Tony Maciulis spoke to Shobha Shetty, Global Director of Agriculture and Food, about the short-term and long-term needs surrounding food production and distribution. "This is not your grandfather's agriculture," Shetty said in a Global Stage interview. "You have to professionalize the sector. And this is what we are doing through a number of our agricultural education projects." Technology and skilling, she explained, are necessary to create the agriculture jobs of the future while also addressing the acute needs of the hungry today.
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At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, Brad Smith announces the launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance, a coalition of global technology leaders, including Microsoft, committing to secure cross-border tech flows, ethical governance, and stronger data protections.

Tune in today at 12pm ET/6pm CET for the live premiere of our Global Stage from the 2026 Munich Security Conference, where our panel of experts takes aim at the latest global security challenges. NY Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger moderates the discussion with Benedetta Berti, Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Ian Bremmer, President & Co-founder, Eurasia Group & GZERO Media; Dr. Wolfgang Dierker, Global Head of Government Affairs, SAP; and Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, Microsoft.