A delegation of senior officials from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) traveled to Cornell during the week of Sept. 15 to explore promoting rural development, collaborating and sharing information, technology and skills.

Chelston Braithwaite, director general of the IICA, led the delegation from the institute's headquarters in Costa Rica.

During the week, Cornell professors and deans held discussions with IICA officials on agribusiness management and training, research in biotechnology and biofuels, climate change and natural resources, leadership in agriculture, and an exchange of information and library services.

The university and the IICA hope to work together on programs to facilitate professional growth, develop distance learning education, conduct workshops and training seminars, link Web sites and databases of the two organizations, and foster staff exchanges.