International Cooperation and Development

December 1996

The mission of the International Cooperation and Development (ICD) area of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service is to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture and preserve natural resource systems, while pursuing sustainable economic development worldwide by mobilizing the resources of USDA and its affiliates.
ICD is the strategic center within USDA responsible for coordinating, supporting, and delivering a diversified program of international cooperation and development.
ICD programs heighten U.S. agriculture's competitiveness by providing links to world resources and by building a spirit of cooperation and goodwill that serves U.S. agriculture well. Through these linkages, the U.S. agricultural sector gains access to emerging technologies and a wider array of genetic material, which can be crucial to creating new-and improving existing-agricultural products, practices, and markets. These international partnerships are the germinating seeds that can produce a rich and diverse harvest of scientific advances and business ventures.
ICD helps increase income and food availability in developing nations by linking the technical expertise of the U.S. agricultural community with those nations. This cooperative effort helps developing nations surmount the barriers of hunger and poverty and build more stable economies.
As industrialized nations have become saturated with goods and services, investors have begun to explore developing nations as markets for fresh and expanded business ventures. Nations moving from low- to middle-income status now offer the brightest prospects for U.S. agricultural products, a trend that is likely to continue. So it is in the best interests of the United States to foster economic growth, strong diplomatic ties, and durable trade relationships in these nations.

Programs of Mutual Benefit

ICD develops its programs in collaboration with and to serve other USDA agencies, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), other public and private institutions, foreign nations, development banks, and the university community. ICD relies on the talent and expertise available in these organizations to help carry out the following programs:

Scientific Cooperation: The Scientific Cooperation Program promotes and supports international cooperation in agriculture and forestry to attain mutual benefit through a variety of projects. Short-term visits between U.S. and foreign scientists promote the transfer of agricultural data, genetic and biological material, and technology. This exchange of information, materials, and techniques is invaluable to the improvement of crops, forestry products, and livestock on a global scale. U.S. scientists may submit proposals for exchanges with any country where benefits to U.S. agriculture may accrue. Through long-term projects, U.S. and foreign scientists work to solve high-priority agricultural problems, such as animal and plant diseases.

Natural Resources and Environment: ICD provides a complete range of natural resource management and environmental technical assistance to organizations and institutions in developing and developed countries. This type of assistance includes needs assessments, project design and development, monitoring and impact assessment, and human resource development. In addition, ICD has access to one of the world's largest, most experienced pools of natural resource and environmental expertise in the areas of soil science, forestry, watershed management, integrated pest management, livestock and range management, irrigation and drainage, global climate change, biodiversity, ecology, and environmental impact assistance.

International Organizations: ICD advances and protects U.S. agricultural interests by keeping U.S. policy views before the international community through multilateral organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Doing so keeps U.S. agricultural interests in the forefront of discussions as international organizations develop programs and policies that can affect U.S. agriculture.

Technical Assistance: Sponsored by such international donor institutions as USAID, the World Bank, the regional development banks, the United Nations, and private organizations, technical assistance programs are designed to increase income and food consumption in developing countries, help mitigate famine and disasters, and help maintain or enhance the natural resource base. Technical expertise is provided in areas like food processing and distribution, plant and animal protection and quarantine, soil and water conservation, and forest management.

Professional Development and Training: Career-related training for foreign agriculturalists provides long-term benefits to economic development, magnifying potential because those who learn teach others.

For example:

In the Cochran Fellowship Program, senior and mid-level specialists and administrators from middle-income countries and emerging markets are exposed to U.S. expertise, goods, and services to promote broad-based development that is mutually beneficial to continued scientific, professional, and trade relationships.
Technical training courses are taught by USDA or U.S. university staff in the United States or overseas. These courses are practical and can be adapted to meet specific needs of foreign agriculturalists in a variety of areas such as agribusiness, extension education, natural resources, policy and economics, and human resource development. Observational study programs and on-the-job training, provide opportunities for foreign agriculturalists to increase their potential for economic development.
ICD assists other governments and international development organizations by arranging U.S. academic and nondegree programs.

Trade and Investment Missions: ICD promotes a vital, healthy private agricultural sector at home and abroad by organizing marketing workshops, in-country technical team visits, and trade missions that link U.S. and foreign entrepreneurs and help them expand business and trade opportunities.

Information: The Agribusiness Information Center provides in-depth information that U.S. and foreign investors need. Data on import and export regulations, commodity grades and standards, and financing are available. This information can mean the difference between success and failure in a business venture.

The Center for Information, Research, and Analysis (CIRA) receives inquiries from individuals working with USAID in developing countries and emerging markets worldwide. Materials furnished by the CIRA staff are obtained from USDA and other sources worldwide and provide accurate information for production, marketing, business, and policy decisions.

Disaster Assistance/Famine Mitigation: In collaboration with USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, ICD manages a disaster assistance program and famine mitigation activities. The disaster assistance program helps people respond to natural disasters such as drought, forest fires, floods, landslides, and earthquakes. Famine mitigation activities involve a broad spectrum of USDA, university, and private sector resources to assist USAID missions in developing strategies to alleviate the onset of food insecurity situations.

ICD Links University/Government/Private Sector Expertise

Through ICD, USDA agencies share their technical expertise in a number of areas with the U.S. and international communities:

• Agricultural Libraries
• Agricultural Marketing
• Agricultural Research
• Agricultural Statistics
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection
• Communication
• Economic Research
• Food and Consumer Services
• Food Safety and Inspection
• Forestry
• Grain Inspection
• Information Resources Management
• Natural Resources Conservation
• Research, Education, and Extension
• Rural Housing and Community Development
• Rural Utilities
• World Agricultural Outlook

ICD also helps international organizations and other nations link with the U.S. university system, the private sector, and other U.S. Government agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency.

Funding

While some of ICD's collaborative programs are financed by Congressional appropriations, most development activities are funded through reimbursable agreements with USAID, other USDA and U.S. Government agencies, U.S. universities, the private and public sectors, development banks, international organizations, and foreign governments.

Questions

For more information about ICD programs and activities, contact:
International Cooperation and Development
Foreign Agricultural Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 3008-South Building
AgStop 1081
Washington, DC 20250-1081
Tel. (202) 690-0776
Fax. (202) 720-6103

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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