The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Global Programs Office connects students and faculty to the world. Meaningful international engagement opportunities allow faculty and students to serve globally, enrich communities at home and abroad, and develop partnerships to address the most-challenging issues faced by society.






CALS in the World

2019 GAP Report Cover

GAP Report Cover
The 2019 GAP Report examines the pivotal role of agricultural productivity – increasing crop and livestock production using existing or fewer inputs – in achieving global goals for environmental sustainability, economic development, and improved nutrition.

The 2019 Global Agricultural Productivity Report, "Productivity Growth for Sustainable Diets, and More," released today by Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, shows agricultural productivity growth – increasing output of crops and livestock with existing or fewer inputs – is growing globally at an average annual rate of 1.63 percent.  

According to the report’s Global Agricultural Productivity Index, global agricultural productivity needs to increase at an average annual rate of 1.73 percent to sustainably produce food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy for 10 billion people in 2050. 

Students learn about agriculture, food security, conservation—and themselves—during South Africa study abroad trip

Students get down in the dirt
Students learn about agriculture, food security, conservation—and themselves—during South Africa study abroad trip

“Agriculture and food security are the perfect lenses for the study of South Africa,” said Mark Reiter, who was one of two leaders on the trip. “Whether it is talking about race and the challenges of re-appropriating farms in the wake of apartheid, or it is examining conservation agricultural practices in an arid country with issues of food inequality, many of the challenges that make South Africa so interesting and dynamic are connected to agriculture. Agriculture is a common thread that unites us all.”

Alan Earl, Ed Smith, and Vitor Mercadante with colleagues in Jaffa, Israel
Alan Ealy (green shirt), Ed Smith (gray shirt), and Vitor Mercadante (plaid shirt) with colleagues in Jaffa, Israel.

This summer, three APSC faculty—Alan Ealy, Vitor Mercadante, and Ed Smith—participated in the Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel, sponsored by the Jewish National Fund. Two weeks of touring and interactions acquainted participants with the science, landscape, and people of Israel. The JNF program accepts two faculty cohorts each year from all scholarly fields. Their website is http://www.ff2israel.org/. 

CALS in Service

Virginia Tech President Tim Sands explains how the university works inside the commonwealth and across the globe to help increase crop yields while reducing the use of toxic chemicals.

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About CALS Global

  • The mission of CALS Global is to create partnerships, discover opportunities, and empower success — to serve globally.
  • The vision of CALS Global is to ensure that CALS is recognized worldwide as a premier destination for agriculture and life sciences.
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