The Heads of MASHAV, Israel’s official international development cooperation program, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Washington to increase cooperation on food security to Africa, said a statement released by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The cooperation between the two nations within the framework of USAID’s “Feed the Future” initiative seeks to “address the root causes of hunger and poverty and forge long-term solutions to chronic food insecurity and undernutrition.”
The program also aims at increasing agricultural production and improving the incomes of both men and women in rural areas who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.
The Memorandum of Understanding establishes closer cooperation between the two countries on the issue of food security in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda.
MASHAV’s cooperation includes its agricultural expertise in applied agricultural research, irrigation and water technologies, and agricultural production in arid zones. Emphasis will be placed on issues of gender, training and human capacity building, and adaptation to climate change.