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The Latin America Regional Program (LARP) continues to support the countries of South America and Mexico in their efforts to improve production of barley and food legumes. Barley and faba bean are important components of the potato-based rotations in the high elevations of the Andes, and faba bean is important in the maize-based rotations at lower altitudes. Market globalization has encouraged the national programs to involve the private sector more in their efforts to increase local production and maximize export opportunities, while maintaining sustainable use of natural resources. In Peru, for example, international centers, national programs, and the private sector are working together to conduct food legume research linking identified markets with farmer organizations. Despite financial constraints, the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture has approved a small grant to foster collaboration with ICARDA in food legume improvement.

LARP was active in 2001 in establishing and promoting links with NGOs, public agencies, El Colegio de Postgraduados in Mexico, and the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Region (CONDESAN) in soil and water management. Two workshops were organized in the Peruvian semi-arid Andes in collaboration with the Cusichaca Trust and the National Program for Watershed Management and Soil Conservation, the largest public watershed management institution in Latin America. High-level decision makers and those involved in canal and terrace rehabilitation attended the workshop. LARP contributed with discussions on the socioeconomic issues of sustainable resource use and crop/livestock interactions in small watersheds. A productive exchange of experiences has been initiated with Mexican researchers working on adaptation of traditional water management systems to cope with the challenges of sustainable resource management and global markets. Some of the documents produced by LARP and its partners have been made public (in Spanish) through CONDESAN’s website.