Rural Agroindustry in Latin America - An Evaluation of the PRODAR Network

The Cooperative Program for the Development of Rural Agroindustry (PRODAR) in Latin America and the Caribbean links institutions concerned with promoting the potential of rural agroindustry (AIR) and improving the social and economic well-being of rural people and their communities. It seeks to strengthen rural agroindustry in Latin America and the Caribbean by helping boost small farmers' participation in markets and improving conditions in rural areas. It also works toward enabling disadvantaged sectors of the population, such as the poor, women, young people, ethnic groups, displaced persons and refugees, to increase their incomes and become part of the production chain.

The Executive Summary states "Lacking resources and a defined structure, PRODAR initiatives have depended heavily on communication tools to spread AIR knowledge and increase awareness. Newsletters, bulletins, workshops, international meetings, technical exchanges, horizontal cooperation, training courses, and publications have been the major tools supporting local initiatives. The recently established PRODARNET, an electronic communication system, will accelerate this dissemination of information and broaden its influence…"

The evaluation is broken into three parts. Part One outlines the background, working structure and issues effecting the programme. Part Two covers country and regional experience from the Andean, Central America Caribbean and Southern Cone regions. Part Three covers observations and conclusions and describes a number of issues including impacts, outcomes and lessons learned. There are three appendices which provide (five) case studies, funding and PRODAR activities.

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