However, Hidalgo created it as a leaf, representing life itself. It is tied to CATIE’s innovative, interdisciplinary work in agriculture, environment and sustainable rural development that is directed toward improving the lives of people in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially the rural poor.

The colors, blue and green, are the two preferred by those who participated in the original survey. To respect the attachment some staff had formed to the distinctive joining of the letters “C” and “A” in logo No. 2, the new logo, though in a different font, retains that element.

The yearlong process of developing the logo also included definition of the slogan: Solutions for environment and development, reflecting CATIE’s continuing evolution. As stated in the 2007 External Review of CATIE by a distinguished international panel, “CATIE has grown from a strongly agricultural focus until today it addresses many of the pressing environmental problems of the region....The ability of CATIE to address environmental issues as they impact on the daily lives of rural people sets CATIE apart from other environmental organizations that mostly focus more on environmental protection with a rich world perspective. CATIE occupies a unique and valuable niche in addressing environmental problems with a production system context."

CATIE honors the logos of the past and the achievements and contributions made by those who worked in the years they represented the institution. Under the new logo, it will strive to combine research, higher education and links to farmers and policy makers with cutting-edge science and a grass-roots realism that make CATIE unique in the developing world.