), ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ; ▁and ▁the ▁Inter - American ▁Agricult ural ▁Information ▁System ▁( AG R INTER ), ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁Operation ▁S ID AL C ▁was ▁created ▁thanks ▁to ▁a ▁grant ▁from ▁the ▁Kel log g ▁Foundation , ▁to ▁the ▁technical ▁leadership ▁assumed ▁by ▁II CA ▁and ▁C AT IE ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁participation ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁national , ▁regional ▁and ▁international ▁organizations . ▁ ▁S ID AL C ▁is ▁a ▁community ▁of ▁agricult ural , ▁forest ry ▁and ▁other ▁information ▁special ists ▁located ▁in ▁different ▁institutions ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁interested ▁in ▁providing ▁services ▁open ly . ▁They ▁collabor ate ▁with ▁one ▁another , ▁“ sh aring ▁a ▁little ▁so ▁that ▁all ▁can ▁have ▁more ,” ▁while ▁conser ving ▁their ▁identity ▁and ▁their ▁policies ▁on ▁providing ▁special ized ▁services ▁at ▁no ▁cost ▁or ▁for ▁a ▁fee . ▁ ▁That ▁is ▁greatest ▁compet itive ▁advantage ▁of ▁S ID AL C . ▁With ▁a ▁hem is pher ic ▁system ▁to ▁which ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁national ▁information ▁systems ▁are ▁linked ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁provide ▁access ▁to ▁special ized ▁knowledge ▁on ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁rural ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁and ▁to ▁share ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Also , ▁through ▁S ID AL C , ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁mobil ize ▁human ▁and ▁information ▁resources ▁among ▁countries ▁and ▁regions , ▁prom oting ▁and ▁supporting ▁national ▁information ▁management ▁initi atives , ▁facil it ating ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁information ▁and