GEF and CATIE Strengthen Ties of Cooperation and Sustainable Development

• Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and president of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, visited CATIE and highlighted that in the future, the Center could be an implementing agency for the fund.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) had the honor of welcoming Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, a three-time Minister of Environment and the current CEO and president of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, to its campus in Costa Rica on April 15.

Luis Pocasangre, CATIE's General Director, welcomed him and accompanied him during his visit. "We are convinced that the longstanding collaboration between CATIE and the GEF will continue to bear fruit for the benefit of the environment and Latin American communities," Pocasangre noted.

During his visit, Rodríguez shared valuable experiences and insights on sustainable development and the need for synergy between the ministries of agriculture and environment, as well as discussing future collaborations between both organizations.

Students from CATIE, the Dean of the Graduate School, and leaders of the Center's research units were present at the event.

In his speech, Rodríguez emphasized his commitment to youth and the accessibility of the GEF: "I am interested in GEF becoming the number one partner for young people who want sustainability. The GEF is accessible, and my task is to reach out and facilitate things," he indicated.

He also introduced the opportunities that the GEF offers to students, including an internship program that encourages youth participation in global sustainability.

For his part, Pocasangre expressed his enthusiasm for the visit and highlighted the alignment of objectives between the two institutions. "We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Carlos Manuel today because CATIE and the GEF have worked together on issues such as biodiversity, soil restoration, and climate change. Today we have the opportunity to explore new ways to strengthen our collaboration," the General Director remarked.

Furthermore, Rodríguez commented that looking to the future, CATIE could be an implementing agency of the GEF: "We are very interested in having GEF projects implemented by CATIE because CATIE has both the scientific capacity in its professionals and the training part, which is equally important for us. To access GEF resources, one must work with central governments and from there come some of the agenda topics to discuss with the General Director. I have no doubt that we will find multiple areas of complementarity," affirmed the GEF CEO.

The Impact of CATIE

Rodríguez also reflected on his professional training and how CATIE played a fundamental role in his career.

In this regard, he commented: "I am a conservationist and when I came to CATIE, I began to learn about landscape-level productivity and the possibilities of production that is more harmonious with nature. The fact that I was the Minister of Environment in Costa Rica and today the head of the GEF is largely a product of what I have learned at CATIE. CATIE has to, in some way, feel that intrinsic paternity, as in my case and many others, who made great leaps after going through CATIE. What we learned at CATIE we will always carry in our hearts."