Dr. Stephen Reichley leads this project, which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Services and designed to bolster fish health in the Republic of Georgia.
Agriculture is a major employer in the Republic of Georgia, employing nearly 40% of the workforce. Yet, productivity and profitability remain low, which results in food insecurity, rural poverty, and youth seeking employment elsewhere. Dr. Reichley and his team are working with the Caucuses Agricultural Development Initiative (CADI) to increase rural income in the focus region of Adjara by institutionalizing support for small and medium-sized aquaculture trout facilities in the Adjara Region, with a focus on veterinary health.
While implementing fish health and other aspects of the project, the CADI project team will focus on gender equity and inclusion as well as climate adaptation and resiliency to improve the sustainability of the innovations implemented.