IICA plant protection programme in the caribbean a case of technical cooperation in agricultural development assistance

Abstract

The IICA Plant Protection Program for the Caribbean seeks to promote and support the efforts of the Caribbean countries to prevent and reduce losses in crops caused by pests, diseases and weeds. The program, which began in 1981, has as a fundamental strategy the reciprocity of technical cooperation where the experience and technical information of some countries are used in a technology transfer to others using human sources, information exchange, and communication mechanisms. The establishment of a Society for Plant Protection in the Caribbean, the establishment of a Regional Plant Protection Bulletin, and an annual meeting of the Plant Protection Directors represent the main mechanisms in this technical cooperation package. Attempts to harmonize pesticide legislation and the training and certification of Plant Quarantine Inspectors represent approaches to make Plant Protection aspects uniform in the region. Initiatives have also been concentrated on survey and eradication studies, and imminent proposals to establish a database of information on Plant Protection for the Caribbean.