The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) signed a five-year technical cooperation with Natural Partners and Trees for the Future on agriculture, reforestation, soil conservation and improving the quality of life for rural communities, beginning with a project in Haiti.
15 November 2012: The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has signed a cooperation agreement with two conservation organizations, Natural Partners and Trees for the Future, to work together on agriculture, reforestation and improving the quality of life in rural communities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
The agreement was signed on 15 November 2012, in Washington, DC, US, by: David Hatch, IICA Representative to the US; William Dent, Executive Director, Natural Partners; and David Tye, acting Executive Director, Trees for the Future.
The five-year agreement covers cooperation on: productivity and competitiveness of LAC’s agricultural sector; soil recovery, enrichment and stabilization; crop diversification, including trees; and income earned from the sale of surplus food and wood products. Cooperation will include technical missions, provision of technical experts, studies, and help in the development and implementation of projects.
Initially, IICA and the NGOs will cooperate in securing financing for an integrated agroforestry program in Haiti to combat erosion and loss of forest cover, and later will expand their cooperation to other LAC countries.
IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture of the Organization of American States (OAS). [IICA Press Release]