Iowa State University will soon be partnering with an impoverished nation somewhere in the world to help guide it toward better health, a better economy and better food production. Professor Lorna Michael Butler is co-chairing I-S-U’s new Sustainable Rural Livelihoods program. Butler says “The focus is on meeting local people’s needs in very poor areas of the world and in having a longterm relationship for I-S-U where we can involve our students, faculty and staff in worthwhile applied research and learning experiences.” Because problems with poverty have many roots, Butler says the team is being assembled from I-S-U’s colleges of agriculture, business, liberal arts and sciences, and family and consumer sciences.Iowa State aims to partner with community-based groups, nongovernmental groups, universities and colleges and private businesses. Butler says I-S-U is well-positioned to understand and address the problems other nations face with agriculture, malnutrition, community health and small business development. The initial partner country is expected to be chosen by December with work beginning in 2004. The I-S-U team is now gathering data on hunger and food security issues in several countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.