The objectives of Wise's office parallel those of the Agency for International Development. In cooperation with the Honduran people, ANRO works to improve stewardship of the land and natural resources, encourage economic participation and increase incomes of the poor, improve family health, and increase democratic processes that favor citizen participation. When you get out there and see improvements in their lives and the lives of their children, it's very satisfying. Honduras is slightly smaller than Mississippi and has a population of approximately five million. About 35 percent of the land is farmable, mainly in valleys between the mountains.
Major crops are bananas, coffee, and pond-raised saltwater shrimp.
The university's connection with Honduras is extensive. You'll find Mississippi State's Seed Technology Program throughout Central America, with several facilities in Honduras. The university's strong relationship with the country is more through its graduates than any official relationship. Right now, AID is funding a joint collaborative research project with Mississippi State and Zamorano, the Pan-American agricultural school. My office, through the Forest Management Program, works with timber producers and the government agency in Honduras that manages timber.