The Wallace Conference 2026 will bring global scientific leaders to Costa Rica to address global health challenges through the One Health approach

• The CATIE’s largest annual scientific event will take place from March 3 to 5, 2026, in Turrialba, with the participation of international specialists and an urgent call to integrate science, public policy, and action for sustainability.

Less than two months before its opening, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) announces the upcoming IX Wallace Scientific Conference, the institution’s most important scientific event in 2026, to be held from March 3 to 5 at its campus in Turrialba, Costa Rica, under the One Health approach.

The Wallace Conference is a regional and international benchmark forum that, since 2002, has convened the scientific community, decision-makers, the private sector, and international cooperation to discuss evidence-based solutions to the region’s major challenges. In its ninth edition, the conference will emphasize the interdependence between soil health, water, biodiversity, agri-food systems, and human and animal health, in a context marked by climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.

Leading voices in global science

The Wallace Conference 2026 will feature high-level keynote speakers recognized for their academic leadership and influence on the global agenda:

• Muhammad Ibrahim: Director General of IICA and an international reference in sustainable livestock and resilient production systems.
• Aurelio Ciancio: specialist in ecology and soil health, with more than four decades of research in sustainable agriculture.
• Carsten Brühl: expert in ecotoxicology and biodiversity, recognized for his studies on the impacts of pesticides on ecosystems.
• Eric Etter: veterinary epidemiologist with extensive experience in infectious disease risk and leadership in One Health approaches.
• Alain Ratnadass: visionary in agroecology and “One Health-smart” strategies for resilient agriculture.
• Richard A. Sikora: authority on microbial resilience, innovation in food security, and agricultural management in tropical contexts.
• Tahseen Jafry: Director of the Centre for Climate Justice, expert in climate justice, gender, and equity.
• Paula Fernandes: researcher in nature-based solutions integrating soil science, agronomy, and microbiology for sustainable food systems.
• Ana María Arias: researcher in water health, chemical and clinical microbiology, with an emphasis on freshwater ecosystems.

The scientific sessions will address, among other topics, soil health, plant health, animal health, ecosystem health, integrated water management (One Water for One Health), and the relationship between agri-food systems and human health, also integrating cross-cutting approaches such as climate change, nature-based solutions, governance, gender, and social inclusion.

Science that connects and transforms

For Dr. Luis Pocasangre, Director General of CATIE, the Wallace Conference represents a strategic space to drive real change: “The Wallace Conference is an invitation to view health in an integrated way. The One Health approach reminds us that it is not possible to guarantee human well-being without caring for ecosystems, water, soils, and biodiversity. This scientific meeting seeks precisely to connect knowledge with action and to strengthen alliances that contribute to more resilient and sustainable development for Latin America and the Caribbean.”

In addition, the Wallace Conference will open a strategic dialogue space to analyze opportunities and strategies for financing, management, and inter-institutional partnerships—including private sector participation—aimed at putting the One Health approach into practice. This exercise of reflection and coordination will take place alongside key actors such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and multilateral banking institutions, among others, noted Dr. Laura Benegas, Director of the Division of Research for Inclusive Green Development (DIDVI) at CATIE and General Coordinator of the conference.

Open registration

The Wallace Scientific Conference 2026 is aimed at researchers, academics, public policy makers, professionals from the productive sector, graduate students, and representatives of national and international organizations interested in sustainability and global health.

Registration is now open, with in-person and virtual participation options. Interested individuals can consult fees and details at:
👉 https://wallace.catie.ac.cr/rates/

Dates: March 3–5, 2026
Location: CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica
Contact us: wallace.conference@catie.ac.cr