Kai Sonder is currently the head of the GIS unit of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) based in the HQ in Texcoco, Mexico. The unit provides spatial data and analysis, targeting, as well as training on GIS to all of CIMMYT’s scientists and projects as well as partners applied to development oriented agricultural research on maize, wheat and conservation agriculture in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Until end of 2009 he held the position of Manager of the Geospatial Lab at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in its HQ in Ibadan, Nigeria, having joined IITA in mid 2006. The geospatial lab provides support on GIS application, spatial data provision and analysis, agro meteorology as well as targeting and GIS training to all of IITA’s projects. This work was mainly centered on crop related analysis on maize, cassava, cowpea, yams, banana/plantain and soybean in SSA as well as socioeconomic work related to the value chains and impact of these crops. Previously (2002-2006) Kai Sonder worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His research areas included forage trees in dry land as well as highland environments and work on livestock water productivity in the Nile basin. He also worked on GIS applications for plant and animal genetic resources units and projects within ILRI. Kai Sonder holds a PhD from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, having done his thesis research on soil conservation and erosion modeling in the Southern Colombian Andean hillsides while working at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia. He also received a MSc degree in tropical plant production and agroecology from the Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen, Germany. He is a member of the Council for Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research (ATSAF) in Germany.