New funding for Global Research Alliance projects in Latin America

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has announced $800,000 in funding for two new Global Research Alliance projects in Latin America.

Mr Guy made the announcement during his speech at the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture conference in Buenos Aires, involving Agriculture Ministers from across the region.

"This funding will support two regional livestock greenhouse gas research projects in Latin America – one looking at dairying in the Andes with Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, and the other looking at trees on farms in Central America with Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras."

"This additional funding recognises the growing importance of this region to New Zealand,” says Mr Guy.

The projects, funded by New Zealand and the Latin American and Caribbean Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO), will help to build capacity for measuring greenhouse gas emissions from livestock under traditional and improved systems, facilitate the design of mitigation strategies, and help formulate policies to promote sustainable livestock systems in Central America and the Andes.

"The Global Research Alliance was set up by New Zealand in 2009 with the aim of helping countries to understand, measure and mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions from their agricultural sectors.

"In total New Zealand has committed $45 million to support the Alliance's activities. This includes support for research, fellowships, workshops and education projects in developing countries. There are currently 39 member countries of the Alliance, 13 of whom are from Latin America," says Mr Guy.

Mr Guy is attending the conference in Argentina after New Zealand was invited to attend as a special observer.

"The invitation reflects the high esteem in which New Zealand is held in this part of the world, particularly for our agricultural expertise. We are recognised as a world leader and other countries are keen to learn from our success.

"This has been a valuable opportunity to meet with my Ministerial counterparts and promote New Zealand agribusiness," says Mr Guy.

The funding for these two new projects comes from Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry for Environment.