Virginia Tech Partners with Nepal to Provide Virtual Pesticide Safety Training
Published:29 Jul.2020 Source:Virginia Tech Daily
In the developing world, the inappropriate use of toxic chemical pesticides frequently leads to human, animal, and environmental health issues. When travel restrictions imposed by the rise of COVID-19 put a pin in the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Integrated Pest Management’s plan to spend the month of March delivering pesticide safety training in Nepal to address the problem, the team moved online.
The IPM Innovation Lab, in collaboration with its latest project, Feed the Future Nepal Integrated Pest Management, has already hosted at least 200 participants in the first of its virtual training sessions. By inviting government agencies, private pesticide retailers, nongovernment organizations, Extension workers, and others — who connect with farmers in a variety of ways — the team aims to contribute to policy change that will enforce the safe sale and careful use of chemical pesticides.