Short History of CSRL
CSRL was created at Iowa State University from a vision shared by its founding benefactors and the University - the vision of rural people in developing countries, and their institutions, empowered to achieve food security and livelihoods. It is an integral part of the College of Agriculture's focus on sustainable agriculture and agroecology, and the University's commitment to internationalization and interdisciplinary learning and inquiry.
Development of CSRL began in late 2002. The process was initially led by the Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture, who assembled a multi-college Management Team to guide the establishment and early growth of this program and to recruit the director.
In June 2003, a "think tank" of international experts in the organization and management of community development and hunger alleviation programs in developing countries was convened to reflect critically on preliminary plans and provide guidance. The group came up with a number of important recommendations. Uganda was selected as the initial partner country after several visits by CSRL to meet in-country organizations and institutions and to gather information. In 2004, CSRL's in-country program coordinator was hired and memoranda of understanding were signed with Makerere University (MU) in Kampala and with Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns (VEDCO), an indigenous Ugandan non-government organization (NGO).
Since then, CSRL has partnered with VEDCO to work with smallholder farmers in Kamuli district, and has worked with undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members from Makerere University on projects and programs of study in Uganda and at ISU. CSRL as an entity is maturing, with the evolution of our founding management team into an advisory board and associated project-based multidisciplinary committees, and a small increase in staffing levels. Additional private funding is being secured, and relationships are developing with additional potential partners.
