CATIE exchanges experiences with representatives of the Living Communities Program

• Delegation of the Program and GOPA Worldwide Consultants visited CATIE campus on Wednesday, October 16.

In order to exchange experiences and present its work, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) received a delegation of representatives from the Living Communities Program and GOPA Worldwide Consultants this week at its campus in Turrialba, Costa Rica. The delegation consisted of Mr. Oscar Navarro, chief technical advisor to the Program; Ms. Edith Méndez, expert in ESMF (Environmental and Social Management Framework) and Ms. María Magdalena Gutiérrez, consultant for agroforestry value chains.

The Living Communities Program is financed by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW) and implemented by the Central American Indigenous and Peasant Coordinator of Community Agroforestry (ACICAFOC) -a non-profit organization that works to open political spaces in recognition of indigenous and peasant communities- with technical support from GOPA. The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the management of natural resources and improve the quality of life in indigenous communities in several Central American countries.

The delegation met with CATIE's Director General, Dr. Luis Pocasangre, and then continued with a tour to the International Coffee and Cocoa Collections, as well as the agroforestry systems housed at CATIE, led by researchers M.Sc. William Solano and Dr. Mariela Leandro.

Afterwards, they attended a presentation on the work of the Inclusive Green Development Research Division and the Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landsapes Unit by Dr. Alejandra Martínez-Salinas. The visit concluded in the facilities of the CATIE Botanical Garden Dr. Jorge León Arguedas.

CATIE has extensive experience in research and implementation of agroforestry systems with different crops that contribute to food security and quality of life for the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to the preservation of the region's biodiversity.