A follow-up meeting between FoSHoL project and BARI IPM-CRSP project was held at FoSHoL-IRRI conference room on June 4, 2006. BARI IPM-CRSP Bangladesh Site Coordinator and representatives from all FoSHoL partners attended the meeting. This was organized as a follow-up meeting of the one held at BARI on May 15, 2006, where BARI IPM-CRSP technologies were presented by the BARI scientists.

All three FoSHoL implementing partners agreed to establish a memorandum of understanding with BARI through IPM-CRSP with the aim to primarily access IPM CRSP technologies and other suitable BARI technologies that will come as a demand from the FoSHoL beneficiary households. In addition, the FoSHoL implementing partners showed their keen interest in getting training support from BARI . IPM-CRSP project agreed to respond to the needs and requested FoSHoL-IRRI to pursue the process so that a functional relationship is established between BARI and FoSHoL though IRRI facilitation.

Meanwhile it was decided that since all the parties are in agreement to establish a functional relationship, from now on they can start accessing resources with support from BARI IPM-CRSP as per their need before signing any formal agreement.

However, the following points were agreed upon as next steps of formal collaboration between BARI IPM-CRSP and FoSHoL.

• FoSHoL implementing partners will give their comments on the draft MoU, suggest modification as needed and will forward it to IRRI for compilation.
• IRRI will incorporate the comments and will discuss with BARI IPM-CRSP for finalizing the draft.
• An umbrella MoU can be signed between BARI IPM-CRSP and the partners as an independent organization instead of mentioning only FoSHoL so that the relationship sustains beyond project period.
• FoSHoL-CARE will enquire the status of the existing MoU between CARE and BARI IPM-CRSP that was signed earlier for CARE-RLP project; if the existing MoU appears to be still valid for CARE to collaborate with IPM-CRSP, CARE will not pursue another new MoU.
• FoSHoL-IRRI Project Manager and Coordinator, BARI IPM-CRSP will meet Director General of BARI for discussing the issue of signing the MoU between FoSHoL and the BARI IPM-CRSP
• For immediate activities dealing with households on vegetables, FoSHoL can approach IPM-CRSP as per need; demand for technologies, materials and training support can be forwarded to IPM-CRSP through FoSHoL-IRRI;
• FoSHoL-IRRI Project Manager will soon meet Director-Training of BARI to discuss potential cooperation between BARI and FoSHoL for incorporating BARI technologies in the Knowledge Bank.

Mr. Indu Bhushan Roy, Farming Systems Coordinator, FoSHoL-ActionAid; Mr. Mizanour Rahman Choudhury, Project Coordinator and Mr. A. N. M. Elias, Technical Coordinator-Innovations, FoSHoL-CARE; Mr. A. K. M Ferdous, AEO, FoSHoL-ITDG, Jamalpur; Mr. Md. Kamrul Islam, AEO and Mr. Md. Waliul Reza, Training Officer, FoSHoL-ITDG, Faridpur; Dr. M. A. Hamid Miah, IRRI Liaison Scientist in Bangladesh; Dr. A. N. M. Rezaul Karim, Coordinator, IPM-CRSP; Dr. Noel P. Magor, Project Manager and Mr. Ahmad Salahuddin, Manager-Coordination & Capacity Building, FoSHoL-IRRI were present in the meeting.