Anticipated Benefits

In the American tropics, information dissemination and exchange will stimulate the implementation of innovative approaches. Knowledge and technology transfers will result in more cost-effective research and development and reduce the high cost of experimentation by avoiding the duplication of effort. Problem identification with a regional scope will result in keener perceptions and will have synergistic effects.

Regional policy issues catalyzed by the Consortium will help the formulation of national policies in the context of regional needs. The Consortium can collaborate in the development of early warning indicators of environmental hazards of trans-national impact, such as the pollution of shared aquifers, transport of contaminated sediments across national boundaries and incidence and migration patterns of pests and diseases. Over time and with the provision of additional resources, the Consortium could potentially serve as the training and information dissemination entity on natural resources conservation for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Such activities may include measures to mitigate the negative regional and national effects of global climate change and the instigation of joint regional research.

NRCS has a role in international technical assistance. This will be augmented through an enhanced understanding of the multi-faceted issue of sustainable land management in a tropical environment. Interaction with other countries will help to place local or national problems into a regional context and allow the development of regional standards for national application. This synergistic interaction will permit NRCS professionals to learn from the failures and successes of their counterparts elsewhere and thus increase their experience and competence. The Consortium can also promote and facilitate the transfer of information and technology from NRCS and international research and development institutes (e.g. World Agroforestry Center – formerly known as ICRAF, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical – CIAT, and other members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research -CGIAR) to nations in tropical regions.