Central America is busier than ever addressing new and old challenges. Poverty reduction and rural development are still some of the most important challenges that need to be addressed in order to guarantee better quality of life to the inhabitants of the isthmus.

But the international situation has also raised some formidable new issues, such as rising food prices, constantly increasing oil prices, and the aggravation of the problem of climate change.

While the Central American countries are struggling to overcome structural problems with appropriate policies and programs, they must also focus their efforts on dealing with the energy crisis, climate change and food shortages. In this context, RUTA plays a role as a high-level technical advisor. Having received a vote of confidence for a new phase in its work from the seven Central American governments and our seven partner agencies, RUTA is prepared to respond with technical excellence, careful planning, timely responses and diligent work.

RUTA is not new to this struggle. The program was started in 1980, and in over 25 years of work, we have acquired and facilitated knowledge, experience, partnerships and technically sound programs that can be used to advantage on behalf of the Central American countries, especially the rural population. We offer a strong and solid platform for the promotion of liaisons between governments, cooperation agencies, civil society organizations, academic institutions and the entrepreneurial sector.

Within and outside of Central America, work is being done by knowledgeable actors, with technical and financial resources, working networks and above all a strong desire to collaborate. RUTA creates synergies with all of these in order to promote rural development in Central America. We will provide the necessary platform for the region, supporting the responses and changes required. We will, above all, be an unfailing partner is these times of great challenges.

Quarterly newsletter of the Director of the Regional Unit for Technical Assistance – RUTA
Newsletter No. 9 – January-March 2008
Director: Miguel Gómez
Editor: María del Mar Martín
Writer: Gabriela Hernández
Technical contributions by: Carmen Eugenia Morales, Ronald Meza, Ana Lucía Moreno and Carlos Pérez
Design: Infoterra Editores S.A.

RUTA Program
San José, Costa Rica
Telephone: (506)2255-4011
Fax: (506)2222-6556
E-mail: regional@ruta.org

www.ruta.org

What is RUTA

RUTA is a joint initiative that was launched in 1980 by the Central American governments and a group of cooperation agencies to promote rural and agricultural development in Central America. At present, the governments of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are participating in RUTA, along with seven partner agencies that have decided to join this Project, namely, the Inter-American Development Bank(IDB), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and the Austrian Cooperation Agency (ADA).

RUTA seeks to contribute to sustainable rural growth and reduce poverty in Central America by developing national and regional capacities. RUTA works in conjunction with the seven ministries of agriculture and livestock of the isthmus and with the technical and financial support of its partner agencies. In fulfilling its role, RUTA serves as a processor and transmitter of information, acting among other things as a retailer for the dissemination of methodologies developed by its partners, a facilitator of dialogue, a leader on important regional issues and a trainer.