In 2005, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Honduras was awarded a grant of $215 million from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty through rural development and transportation projects. 

The Rural Development Project provides farmer training and development, improved access to credit by farmers, upgrading of farm-to-market roads, and grants for  agricultural "public good" investments. The Transportation Project will upgrade and pave two major sections of the CA-5 highway north of Tegucigalpa and pave approximately 90 km of secondary roads.

Between now and 2010, NORC, along with subcontractors the Urban Institute and the University of California Berkeley, and the National Institute of Public Health (Mexico City), will design, oversee data collection, and carry out the analysis for an impact evaluation to assess the effectiveness of these programs in raising household incomes, improving agricultural productivity, and reducing transportation costs.

To learn more about the MCA-Honduras projects, visit their website.