The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) with the Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM CRSP) and the and FoSHoL implementing partners of Action Aid Bangladesh and Practical Action Bangladesh (former ITDG) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in an informal ceremony on July 6, 2006 at BARI Conference Room, Joydebpur, to establish linkages and collaboration for technical exchange and support on vegetable production that can elevate the livelihoods of the FoSHoL beneficiary farmers. The duration of the agreement will be five years extendable on mutual basis. The agreements are with the implementing partners which means cooperation can extend beyond the FoSHoL project. CARE already has an agreement for collaboration on IPM vegetable activities that is valid for the current FoSHoL-CARE project.

Under the agreement BARI IPM-CRSP will help in the following activities:

• To identify and disseminate vegetable technologies appropriate for farm level adoption
• To train FoSHoL-ActionAid and FoSHoL-Practical Action technical and field level staff and target farmers on vegetable technologies
• To exchange technical information and technology transfer ideas and mechanisms and provide technical assistance and supervision at the farm level
• To discuss and review joint activities and prepare plans for future interventions and
• To prepare Fact Sheets on appropriate vegetable IPM technologies

BARI Director General Dr. Shahadad Hussain. IPM CRSP Project Coordinator Dr. A. N. M. Rezaul Karim, FoSHoL-ActionAid Farming Systems Coordinator Mr. Indu Bhushan Roy and Practical Action Country Director Ms. Veena Khaleque signed the agreements on behalf of their respective organizations. FoSHoL-Practical Action Team Leader Mr. Mohammad Ali and IRRI Liaison Scientist for Bangladesh Dr. M. A. Hamid Miah were present among others.