This JFPR -CBAET Project was conceived to complement the proposed Agriculture Science and Technology Project (ASTP), currently being formulated by ADB. In line with the Government's medium- to long-term strategies as presented in its Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (May 2002), the ASTP aims to increase agricultural income and contribute to reduced rural poverty by strengthening the country's agriculture science and technology (AST) system (research, extension, and education).

In conjunction with the ASTP, the JFPR-CBAET Project will provide (i) increased opportunities for grassroots application of AST for poverty reduction in the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces, and (ii) important feedback and lessons learned on the effectiveness of pro-poor approaches and participatory planning techniques for community-based extension and training. These new approaches and techniques will be introduced and replicated in new districts based on the practical experience of CECI, a Canadian NGO, which worked successfully in other districts of Thanh Hoa province