Shapiro has been involved with sustainable agricultural and agroforestry systems, plant genetics and food production systems for more than 35 years and is recognized around the world as an expert in his field. As global director of Plant Science, Mars Incorporated, as well as vice president, Agriculture/R&D for Seeds of Change, Shapiro is responsible for plant genetics, water conservation and the sustainability/production models for agroecological, agroforestry and agroeconomics of key crops. His impressive, diverse background includes The University of California, Davis, Chairman of the Board, The Agriculture Sustainability Institute, professor, plant breeder/geneticist, two-time Fulbright Scholar and Ford Foundation Fellow, as well as winner of the National Endowment for the Humanities Award.
Shapiro oversees ongoing sustainability projects in Brazil, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia. In 2005, he was appointed a sub-chapter author for The World Bank Millennium Agriculture Assessment, a component of the Millennium Development Goals which are to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable economic growth in developing countries. In 2006, he founded Inforesta, the agroforestry working group for the global Cacao Producers' Alliance (COPAL). He has published three books including the critically acclaimed Gardening for the Future of the Earth.