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Annual donors meeting held at CATIE headquarters |
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CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) hosted its annual meeting for major donors and strategic partners at the center’s headquarters on April 19. The group included four ambassadors of collaborating countries (Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland) as well as representatives from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the United Kingdom, the French Agricultural Research Center for Development (CIRAD), CAB International, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), among others.
During the meeting, Dr. Jeffrey Sayer, leader of the Independent External Evaluation team, which recently conducted an evaluation of CATIE, made a presentation of the team’s findings, conclusions and recommendations. In general this evaluation was very positive for CATIE. It highlighted "the combination of cutting-edge science and grassroots realism that make CATIE unique in the developing world."
Dr. Pedro Ferreira, director general at CATIE, presented the center’s official response to the recommendations formulated by the team. This response had been prepared in conjunction with the center’s board of directors that met for their semiannual meeting the previous day.
A highlight of the meeting was the presentation and signing of the scientific framework of the “Mesoamerican Scientific Partnership Platform for Agroforestry Systems With Perennial Crops,” which is a new initiative among CIRAD (France), CABI (Great Britain), INCAE Business School (Costa Rica), PROMECAFE and CATIE. This presentation was made by the deputy director general of CIRAD, Dr. Etienne Hainzelin.
During this meeting, Dr. Ferreira, on behalf of CATIE, presented a plaque of recognition and thanks to the Swiss government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for its longtime support to CATIE and for the establishment of two endowed chairs in Natural Forest Management and Ecology at CATIE’s Graduate School, celebrating completion of support to the endowment of the COSUDE-CATIE Chair II. Swiss Ambassador Gabriela Nützi received the plaque.
Among recommendations the donors offered are the following: |
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CATIE should strengthen its National Technical Offices in member countries. |
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Donors should help CATIE seek a few strong strategic partners in the region. |
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CATIE must put special emphasis on the issue of climate change and focus more activities in this line—it should become the southern center for this issue. |
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The center must support regional and national agendas and, in doing so, should balance its role as an academic research institution and key development actor. |
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CATIE’s new regional program PAACA, based on initial support from Norway, should be a platform for other endeavors of this type. |
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CATIE should play a major role in Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) issues. |
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Donors should support programs that help form social scientists as part of long-term growth and development. |
Communications Unit
CATIE Headquarters 7170
Tel. (506) 558-2643
Fax (506) 558-2058
E-mail: comunicacion@catie.ac.cr |
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