USDA Awards $500,000 to Texas A&M To Address Farming Issues in Central America

On Tuesday, the USDA gifted Texas A&M University $500,000 to establish international fellowship programs. The award is for the University’s Norman Borlaug Institute to establish and teach school-based programs in Guatemala through the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program.

Administered by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Administrator Daniel Whitley said the program will “help meet the food and fiber needs of Guatemalan communities.” That objective, according to Whitley, aligns with the Biden administration’s priorities for addressing the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle region of Central America.

Each Fellow will spend up to ten months in Guatemala during the 2022-2023 school year teaching agricultural skills and training youth at secondary schools and rural communities, activities that also support the U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy. While on the ground, fellows will collaborate with existing U.S. Government projects to ensure synergy and to maximize benefits across programs.

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