Horticulture CRSP Immediate Impact Projects Quickly Address Needs in Developing Countries

The Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program (Hort CRSP), funded by USAID, awarded nearly $2 million in early 2010 to support 15 one-year projects to improve the production and marketing of horticultural crops and products in the developing world. The collaborative research effort will be responsible for developing and leading a broad range of activities that demonstrate how horticulture can help reduce hunger and malnutrition and raise the incomes of the rural poor. Ten U.S. universities are collaborating with international organizations, agencies and institutions to conduct projects across 16 developing countries in Latin America, south and southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, from Costa Rica to Zambia. These Immediate Impact Projects (IIP’s) address a wide range of issues, opportunities, and horticultural crops. Foci of the various projects include sustainable production, postharvest handling, enabling policy environment, food safety, germplasm improvement, nutritional value, and marketing. All projects emphasize information accessibility, technological innovation and gender equity. Activities of these Immediate Impact Projects include research, training, curriculum development, and outreach to developing country horticultural industries. While research, training and capacity building activities may focus mostly on the biological aspects of horticulture, the effectiveness of the projects will be measured by the adoption of practices developed and by impacts (i.e. economic, social and health) on the rural poor. The Horticulture CRSP website, www.hortcrsp.ucdavis.edu, will be used to demonstrate interactive information regarding these projects. This poster will briefly describe and illustrate the 15 Immediate Impact Projects, their target countries, collaborators, activities, expected results and impacts, and current status.