White House Author

Dr. Govind Kannan, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) in Georgia, has spent his entire career in applied research and outreach empowering small and underrepresented farmers with the knowledge and technical skills needed to sustain successful agricultural enterprises. Dr. Kannan strongly feels that farms are the key to revitalizing rural communities and strengthening food security, and he played a lead role in establishing a research consortium of 1890 land-grant institutions focused on integrated plant-animal farming systems to promote economic stability and environmental stewardship on limited resource farms. Under his leadership, the institution’s global outreach has increased tremendously, with growing numbers of FVSU scientists traveling to other countries to conduct training programs, and scientists, students, producers, and government officials from various countries in Africa, South America, Asia, and Europe visiting the university’s Small Ruminant Research Center to learn about sustainable goat and sheep production methods each year.