For many years, SUSTAIN organized short-term activities in response to requests for assistance from developing countries. These requests came from local businesses, organizations, universities and educational institutions, USAID missions and other international donors, host country governments, and others. SUSTAIN staff carefully evaluated each request in consultation with expert volunteers to determine the nature of the problem and the most appropriate type of assistance. Assistance was offered in many forms, including technical consultations, technical assistance, assessments, workshops, and other activities to best address the needs in the field.

Maryland, U.S. (September 1996). Transfer & Commercialization of Agricultural Technologies
Three SUSTAIN volunteers and two staff members participated in a roundtable workshop sponsored by USAID/AFR for personnel from USAID, PVOs, and African governments. During the three-day workshop, participants discussed issues, concepts, models and their own experiences in technology transfer and commercialization in Africa. SUSTAIN volunteers contributed their expertise in post-harvest technologies, and recommended approaches to effective post-harvest technology transfer in Africa.

Baltimore, Maryland (September 1996). Meeting: Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC)
SUSTAIN was invited to organize a display in the registration area to inform interested AACC members about how food scientists are addressing food quality and nutrition concerns in developing countries and how they could become part of this effort. SUSTAIN participated in technical meetings and met with volunteers and executives on various program activities.

Honduras and Nicaragua (August/September 1996). Food Safety and HACCP Assessment: Meat Processing, Packing, and Slaughter Plants
This activity had two components. First, a SUSTAIN volunteer assessed the Honduran meat industry's need for technical assistance with particular reference to recent regulations issued by the USDA that would mandate HACCP systems for all U.S. meat plants, as well as non-U.S. plants that want to export meat to the U.S. Second, the volunteer conducted an assessment of a slaughter and packaging operation in Nicaragua at the request of CARNIC, a Nicaraguan slaughter and packaging operation, and issued recommendations on options for automation, by-product utilization, and systems to reduce the costs of production.

Guatemala (August 1996). Food Industry Forum on Market Opportunities for Fortified Foods
A SUSTAIN volunteer from a U.S. ingredients company participated in this forum, hosted by INCAP, by making a presentation on market opportunities for fortified foods in Central America.

Russia (Voronezh) (July/August 1996). Feasibility of Starting Juice Processing Facility
A SUSTAIN volunteer assessed the feasibility of expanding production at a dairy products plant so that it could also produce fruit juice products for marketing in northwestern Russia. This would increase the availability of vitamin-rich products in the region.

Washington, DC, U.S. (June 1996). Preparatory Meeting for the World Food Summit
SUSTAIN presented comments at the U.S. government preparatory meeting for the United Nations World Food Summit. Comments concerned goals for the Summit.

New Orleans, U.S. (June 1996). Institute of Food Technologists/Participants from Africa
SUSTAIN hosted IFT participants from Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe at its symposium and volunteer meeting and reception. This was organized in conjunction with USAID/AFR.

New Orleans, U.S. (June 1996). Symposium at IFT Annual Meeting
SUSTAIN and the International Division of the Institute of Food Technologists co-sponsored a symposium at the IFT's 1996 Annual Meeting entitled "International Trade Trends in Food Ingredients: Improving Nutrition in the Balance." Speakers focused on the expanding global market for the export and import of food ingredients, nutrients, and additives, and the importance of quality maintenance systems in exporting organizations. SUSTAIN also participated in other technical meetings and met with volunteers and executives on various program activities.

Guatemala (April 1996). Guatemalan Association of Food Technologists (AGTA) Congress
SUSTAIN was invited to participate in AGTA '96, the biannual congress of the Guatemalan Association of Food Technologists (AGTA), and responded by sending a volunteer from Nabisco who lectured on "Technological Trends in the Food Industry" and a volunteer from the U.K.-based International Food Information Service (IFIS), who lectured on "Information Systems for Food Technologists". In addition to giving presentations at the AGTA congress, these volunteers presented technical instruction to students of food science and technology at the Universidad Del Valle De Guatemala. Both experts had extensive one-on-one interaction with participants at the congress and students from the university.

India, the Philippines, and Indonesia (March 1996). Seafood HACCP Training
This series of workshops was held in March 1996 at Cochin (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), and Manila (Philippines) and was a collaborative effort among USAID, SUSTAIN, USDA and Technical Assessment Systems, Inc. The workshops provided Asian seafood processors, exporters, and other interested parties with an overview of imminent U.S. requirements for HACCP quality assurance systems for all seafood products imported into the U.S. Two SUSTAIN volunteers, with expertise in seafood HACCP, were part of an inter-disciplinary team of experts from industry and government that taught the workshops.

El Salvador (March 1996). Cheese Processing Training
A SUSTAIN volunteer provided training in general and specialized cheese processing technologies, with emphasis on goat cheese at a workshop organized by the National Agriculture School (ENA) of El Salvador, and coordinated through CLUSA (Cooperative League of the U.S.A.)/El Salvador. The SUSTAIN volunteer also gave several lectures on hygiene and sanitation in dairy processing and emphasized the importance of pasteurization. As a result of the volunteer training, the ENA began operating a small pasteurization unit that was located at the pilot plant, which had previously not been in use.

El Salvador (February 1996). Organic Coffee Processing III Technical Assistance
A SUSTAIN volunteer provided technical assistance in coffee processing to an agricultural cooperative in El Salvador. This was the last in a series of three technical assistance visits to the UCRAPROBEX cooperative that produces and exports about 12% of the coffee in El Salvador. On this visit, the volunteer advised on the kind of roasting, grinding and packaging technologies that will be necessary to expand the manufacture and sale of organic coffee beyond El Salvador to reach other consumers in Central America.

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