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International AgricultureVirginia State University has a history of providing technical assistance and promoting institution building, collaborative agricultural research and international training around the world. In the past, VSU has assisted Egerton University in Kenya to initially become a four-year degree granting institution, provided technical assistance in the drafting of a long-range plan for research at the University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, and participated in diversification projects in Gambia.
Contact: Wondi Mersie |
Present international activities include a four-year research grant by the Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM CRSP) to develop a weed control system aimed at reducing the adverse impact of an invasive plant, parthenium, on humans, crops, livestock and plant biodiversity in eastern and southern Africa. The IPM CRSP is managed by Virginia Tech with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). VSU serves as the lead institution, partnering with Virginia Tech and scientists from nine countries on the research project. This project will develop recommendations to abate the spread of parthenium in Africa. 
Another current USAID funded project implemented by VSU is the Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) program that fields U.S. volunteers in Ethiopia. Volunteers travel to Ethiopia to work with producers, individual farmers, cooperatives, and financial institutions. These volunteers transfer appropriate technologies that improve productivity and enhance value of agricultural products while at the same time assisting farmers to link with markets. The major focus areas for VSU’s FtF include dairy and livestock, horticulture, marketing, product processing, and financial institution building. The goal is to assist Ethiopian farmers, traders, and processors increase agricultural exports.