ARTICLE - U.S. BRAZIL-HAITI AGREEMENT

TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT: U.S. - BRAZIL - HAITI
(Haiti Libre) -

The Governments of the United States and of Brazil have Monday formalized a partnership to improve food security in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Memorandum of Understanding begins with a trilateral agreement with the Government of Haiti to improve agriculture practices and technologies.

"We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Brazil and take advantage of our countries' relative expertise in agriculture," said Mark Feierstein, Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at USAID (United States Agency for International Development). "By combining efforts, our countries can help others improve nutrition for rural communities and increase incomes for poor farmers."

In Haiti, the partnership will primarily focus on sharing new technologies and implementing exchange programs and training opportunities.

The three governments will :

Test new varieties of maize, rice, beans, cowpeas and other crops;

Implement new farming systems that use less water, fertilizer, and seeds;

Improve mango production;

Adopt technologies to store and process grains and vegetables;

Enable farmers to use their land to sustainably produce both food and wood;

Conduct exchange and training programs for farmers and researchers;

Promote nutrition, specifically for mothers and children

"This partnership leverages the expertise of Brazilians and Americans to make a difference in food security in the region and directly help Haitians," noted Paul Weisenfeld, Assistant to the Administrator for the Bureau of Food Security at USAID.