CIENPINOS Project reviews its final closure strategy with achievements in territorial climate governance and nature-based solutions

• Capacity building, innovation, and sustainability are consolidating as key pillars for addressing the challenges of climate change and improving the quality of life of rural communities in Cuba, as a result of the work carried out by the project.

With the objective of moving toward a successful closure and ensuring the future sustainability of its results, the project Municipal Climate Governance and Sustainable Agroforestry Production of Low-Emission and Climate-Adapted Food in Cienfuegos and Pinar del Río, Cuba (CIENPINOS) held a working meeting in Panama City from July 21 to 26, 2026. The initiative is implemented by CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and the Indio Hatuey Experimental Station, with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

The activity was organized together with the team from CATIE’s National Office (NO) in Panama, which provided decisive support in carrying out the activity program and managing the event logistics. The meeting served to take stock of the results achieved during nearly four years of implementation, identify challenges, and outline the future prospects of this initiative, which promotes sustainable territorial development and nature-based solutions in four municipalities across two Cuban provinces.

The session was inaugurated by Dr. Ismael Hernández Venereo, International Project Coordinator, and Administrative Officer Lic. Sofía Madrigal, who welcomed the participants and presented the work program. During the morning session, Lic. Cristina Torres and Lic. Elvin Britton, from CATIE’s NO in Panama, also participated, strengthening the initiative’s institutional ties and exploring potential collaboration in future technical actions between the countries, including some of CATIE’s territorial climate governance initiatives in Panama, among others.

Project achievements

Dr. Yhosvanni Pérez Rodríguez and Dr. Bertha Rita Castillo Edua were responsible for presenting the results achieved in the provinces of Cienfuegos and Pinar del Río, highlighting the project’s differentiated impact in each territory. The presentation served to reaffirm the leading role of Municipal University Centers (CUMs) as a key component in the implementation of CIENPINOS, consolidating them as essential mechanisms for bringing scientific knowledge closer to local government management and translating research into practical inputs for decision-making.

During the same session, Dr. Mildrey Soca Pérez complemented the analysis by presenting progress in capacity building and detailing the implementation of training activities, whose results are already having a positive impact on territorial development. Thanks to this synergy, the project has gone beyond the institutional sphere and has had a direct impact on public policies in the pilot municipalities and provincial governments of Pinar del Río and Cienfuegos. A concrete milestone is the incorporation of climate criteria into territorial planning, supported by rigorous studies on GHG emissions, land-use changes, and biodiversity monitoring. In quantitative terms, 7,032 people were trained, with women accounting for 45% of participants.

In the productive sphere, innovations in herd management were promoted on 32 farms, while the value chains for pork and goat production were strengthened. Although progress has been significant, the team has prioritized consolidating the processing and marketing stages, as well as training lead producers in the artisanal production of meat products, taking advantage of the tourism potential of municipalities such as Cumanayagua and Viñales.

In the social sphere, the promotion of women’s participation in raising goats and Creole pigs stands out as a factor contributing to profound cultural change in the territories. Furthermore, CIENPINOS made a key contribution to the Agronomy program at the University of Cienfuegos and the Forestry program at the University of Pinar del Río obtaining the Excellence category awarded by the National Accreditation Board (JAN), a recognition that will have a positive impact on curriculum design and on bringing students closer to productive realities.

In parallel, progress was made in organizing the International Meeting on Extensive Livestock Farming and Pastoralism, which will be held from November 9 to 13, 2026, in Cuba, providing a key space for knowledge exchange and showcasing the good practices promoted by CIENPINOS. The project’s financial and communication aspects were also reviewed, and discussions were held on sustainable and diversified forest management plans in both provinces, highlighting the value of non-timber forest products as opportunities for local development.

CIENPINOS reaffirms its commitment to capacity building, innovation, and sustainability as key pillars for addressing the challenges of climate change and improving the quality of life of rural communities in Cuba. With this updated roadmap, the project is preparing to successfully close its current cycle and open new doors toward the future.