Brasília, March 22, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Five technical experts from the Italian International Cooperation Agency put the finishing touches on arrangements for a new partnership with Brazil. Meeting in Brasília with their counterparts from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa), they discussed conservation, sustainable use, and biodiversity enrichment projects that can receive investments totaling 2.8 million euros (around R$ 10 million) over the next three years.

The goal of the Brazil-Italy Biodiversity Program is to encourage agricultural and environmental research projects keyed to the generation of jobs and family income among the native and traditional populations of the North, Center-West, and semi-arid Northeast regions.

Priority will be given to initiatives that maximize cooperative endeavors among farmers and the formation of seed banks.

Translator: David Silberstein