Our main policy partnership during the first years of work has been with the Center for Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), the think-tank associated with Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Given IPSARD's central role in rural policy development and its mandate to develop a commodity expert group, the immediate priority has been to contribute to its development of appropriate skills and market knowledge. Since 2008, a group of staff from CAP has been working with a team from Prosperity Initiative in our offices since the beginning of 2008 working jointly to carry out market analysis and policy studies relevant to CAP, and to build market oriented market analytical and policy advisory capability in the CAP team.

Prosperity Initiative's developmental work with CAP/IPSARD is being expanded now to joint activities. Recently, a PI CAP collaboration completed a vegetable and bamboo value chain study in Quang Nam, and they are collaborating on a new bamboo Master Plan and policy development for MARD.

In addition, in Lao PDR, engagements modeled on the IPSARD partnership are being to the Policy Research Centre (PRC) of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) of the Government's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Joint Prosperity Initiative/CAP sector studies:

Honey - Small Scale Report
Coconuts - Small Scale Report
Bananas - Small Scale Report
Chili - Small Scale Report
Cardamom - Small Scale Report
Grapefruit/Pomelo - Small Scale Report
Groundnuts - Small Scale Report
Cocoa - Small Scale Report
Soybean - Small Scale Report