Virginia Tech’s SmartFarm Innovation Network of skilled and dedicated faculty researchers is expanding as part of a strategic effort to create a statewide network of interconnected faculty, partners, and resources for scientific discovery and developing and deploying new technologies.

Since 2020, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech has advertised 13 new tenure-track positions identified as the SmartFarm Innovation Network cluster including AAEC faculty Anubhab Gupta, economics of international agricultural development, agricultural and applied economics.

Eight additional new faculty hires within the college have been identified with the skills and knowledge that contribute to the strength of the SmartFarm cluster cohort including two AAEC faculty Elinor Benami, data analytics and machine learning in global agricultural sustainability; agricultural and applied economics, and Chi Ta, environmental, energy and public economics, and agricultural and applied economics. Posted September - Read full story 

“Ellerbrock: Universal justice – today and tomorrow” Why have rising gasoline prices pushed global famine, violent conflicts, refugee dislocation, degrading poverty and ecological devastation to the back pages?

Economists know the answer: humanity has a high discount rate. In the minds of many people, today counts more than tomorrow. Check out AAEC professor Mike Ellerbrock’s commentary in the Roanoke Times. Posted August

More DC Region Residents Facing Food Insecurity: Washington ABC7

A new survey finds one in three people in the DC Region face food insecurity and the pandemic has only made it worse. George Davis, Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech broke down the research. Interview with George Davis Posted July 

Fertilizer prices reaching record highs, worrying farmers as planting season is underway

Inflation, supply shortages and the war in Ukraine have driven fertilizer prices to record highs as concerned farmers begin the 2022 planting season. USA Today, Jason Grant interview Posted June

Original newsbreak - USDA grants Virginia Tech researchers +$633,000 to study farm-to-fork food waste

By Watchful Eye – Twitter handle, Northern Neck & greater Virginia

Independent Messenger - Virginia Tech researchers working to develop methods to measure farm-to-fork food loss

City of Emporia, Greensville County, and the surrounding communities. 

The Washington Post - Virginia Board of Health reprimands health commissioner 

Mike Ellerbrock interview/quote

The Washington Post - 1 out of 3 people in D.C. region face food insecurity, survey finds

Quote from George Davis