Central American Producers Visit CATIE to Strengthen Agricultural Resilience in the Dry Corridor

• The visit, organized within the framework of the AGROINNOVA project, facilitated the exchange of knowledge on agroforestry systems and sustainable technologies to address climate change and improve food security in the region.

On September 11, 30 producers from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama visited the CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) campus as part of the Adapted Agroforestry Systems for the Central American Dry Corridor Project (AGROINNOVA). During this day, participants toured strategic locations at CATIE, such as the Commercial Farm, the Goat Module, the International Cocoa Collection, and the Botanical Garden.

The main objective of this field day was to promote a direct and practical dialogue between producers and technical staff, enabling the discussion of new techniques, technologies, and practices adapted to the agricultural and livestock realities of the Central American Dry Corridor (CSC).

Key topics discussed included profitability, sustainable production, climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livestock farming, small-scale goat farming, and value-added in agroforestry systems.

This exchange of experiences, along with the formation of strategic alliances in agricultural, forestry, and digital technologies, will significantly contribute to strengthening actions aimed at improving climate resilience and food security in the CSC region.

The AGROINNOVA project, implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), with the technical support of CATIE and funded by the European Union in Central America, is a key step toward a more sustainable future for the agricultural communities of the Dry Corridor.