The Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED) is in Virginia Tech’s International Affairs Office Building, 526 Prices Fork Road (0378), Blacksburg, VA Phone: (540) Feeding the world wisely 2 programs at Virginia Tech apply eco-friendly strategies Grafting in Bangladesh yields green benefits Eggplant is a food staple for Bangladeshis – 114 pounds a year per person. When a pest strikes the crop, livelihoods for millions are threatened. A grafting technique developed by Virginia Tech research partners produces a high-yielding plant that resists pests, reducing the need for chemicals that can pollute water and may lead to health problems. This technique is one element of a wide-ranging program in Bangladesh and 12 other countries around the world. The global Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, funded by USAID and managed by Virginia Tech, focuses on critical areas: ● reducing damage from pests ● reducing pesticide use ● promoting sustainable pest management practices ●raising farmer incomes The IPM Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) supports scientific projects in 33 countries, collaborating with 22 U.S. universities and 51 institutions in host countries. Learn more online: The IPM and SANREM CRSPs are part of Virginia Tech’s Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED), which also oversees the education abroad program, the Graduate Certificate in international research, the Fulbright Program for Faculty, and the Peace Corps on-campus recruitment program. A component of every program is advancement of gender equity by empowering women with greater access to resources, knowledge, and technology. Learn more: Authors: Deanne Estrada and Miriam Rich Using a razor, a technician grafts high-yield eggplant to disease-resistant rootstock. Using koi ponds, calla lilies, and honeybees, a Filipino couple have built a thriving business on 7 acres of thin, dry soil. Rainwater ponds for irrigation were stocked with koi, which thrived and are now harvested and sold for food. Calla lilies planted to filter wastewater produced showy white flowers that are now a major income source, employing dozens of local women in the harvesting and marketing. The lilies also attracted bees, which became a honey production industry. The couple’s farm, where resources are recycled and little is wasted, is a model for an agro-forestry research program managed by Virginia Tech. Other long-term projects of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (SANREM) CRSP, active in 11 countries on four continents, address: ● forest management and property rights ● agricultural markets that conserve biodiversity ● watershed management for small-scale agriculture ●effects of climate, economic, and social change on agro-ecosystems Learn more online: Drawn to a farm’s lush calla lilies, a colony of honeybees is now a profit center. Farm turns byproducts into profits in Philippines This poster was made possible through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the generous support of the American people.