Vice President of Costa Rica explores innovative solutions at CATIE for sustainable development 

• The visit highlighted the importance of joint collaboration between the Costa Rican government and CATIE to drive innovative transformation in the productive sector. 

August 21, 2023. During a tour to explore advancements in sustainable development, the First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Stephan Brunner Neibig, accompanied by Kattia Barrantes, Chief of Staff, visited CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in Turrialba.  

The purpose of the visit was to firsthand understand the progress made in innovative solutions aimed at addressing environmental challenges, developing organic products and services to foster economic growth, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and the institution's commitment to ongoing research to enhance Inclusive Green Development in the Latin America and Caribbean region. 

"My expectation for this visit is to learn about the possibilities we have in Costa Rica to introduce new technology and innovation into our main crops. I'm getting informed about the research that has reached a level of maturity, as well as those that are approaching this level, in order to apply them practically in the agricultural field," emphasized Brunner.  

The tour was led by Luis Diego Jiménez, Assistant to the Director General of CATIE, and Carlos Araya, Director of Green Business Development, Resource Mobilization, and Strategic Alliances, along with the team from the Center for Advanced Applied Research (CAIA, by its acronym in Spanish), including Martín Pinto, Scientific Director; María Faria, Director of Environmental Management and Impact; and Jesús Faria, Director of Operations. 

Since 2022, an alliance between CAIA and CATIE was established to implement projects focused on green forage and spirulina production, hydronuclei, and ecological regeneration. The latter is currently being applied in CATIE's lake, where technology has been designed to naturally process the elements affecting its ecological balance while becoming a key axis for environmental sustainability.  

"In partnership with CATIE, we are developing environmentally friendly solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, the El Niño phenomenon, and food production through the processing of organic matter with technologies developed for organic fertilizer production, as well as circular economy and regenerative agriculture," commented Pinto.  

The visit also included an exhibition of the hybrid propagation module and improved coffee varieties, implemented by CATIE with support from the investment fund and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). This module aims to maintain material traceability and genetic stability while reducing time and costs in plant production. 

"We are excited to welcome the Vice President; his presence allows us to showcase our efforts in addressing crucial challenges through applied innovative solutions. We look forward to closely collaborating with the government to achieve our shared objectives," highlighted Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of CATIE.  

The visit concluded at the Center's commercial farm, where other solutions implemented by the institution in livestock, forestry plantations, and natural regeneration were showcased, contributing to Costa Rica's decarbonization efforts.