CATIE brings science, graduate education and technical cooperation together to reduce poverty

and improve human wellbeing through the integrated management of agriculture and

conservation of the environment

CATIE, An international “land grant” university

Seattle, December 15, 2010

Our history

1940 Henry A. Wallace, in the VIII American Scientific Congress and advocated by the Pan American Union, promoted the founding of the Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Sciences (IICA).

1943 Turrialba, Costa Rica, was chosen as the headquarters.

1973 Agreement between IICA and the Costa Rican government to create CATIE.

Our mission

Increase human well-being and reduce poverty in rural areas through education, research and technical cooperation, promoting sustainable management of competitive agriculture and natural resources.

Our Strength

Integration of three functions based on integrated and collaborative approaches

Technical Cooperation

EducationResearch

• Generate scientific knowledge related to needs in Latin America and the Caribbean

• Form leaders capable of solving problems in a complex

and changing world• Implement projects that contribute to agricultural development and

conservation of natural resources• Contribute to public policy at municipal, national and international

levels through scientific knowledge• Work in strategic alliances with more than 200

public and private partners• Serve as a regional platform for the development

and implementation of local solutions for global priorities

What we do

Where we work

Headquarters in Turrialba, Costa Rica

National technical offices: BoliviaEl SalvadorGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaPanamaDominican RepublicBelizeAcre, BrazilMexicoVenezuela (planned)

Member Countries

CATIE paradigms to address global challenges

• Purpose: to enhance social and ecological resilience via human, social, cultural, political and natural capitals:– Integration of multiple scales (and sectors/disciplines)

» Genes, stand/production system, landscape, ecoregion» Farm, household, municipal, national, global

– Reconcile production and conservation in managed and wild ecosystems, maintaining or enhancing their capacity to provide services: sustainable agriculture, silvopastoral/AFS and SFM

• Use of economic instruments and market-based approaches to manage ecosystem services

• Contribute to policies to create an enabling environment for the implementation of sustainable land management practices

Sustainable rural solutions: CATIE’s contribution

•We face increasingly complex international challenges under highly

uncertain conditions. These require adaptive systems solutions.

•Rural areas are strategic for the provision of eco-system services

and human well-being (rural and urban)

•Social and ecological condition of these territories is key for local

and worldwide social development

•Sustainable management of agriculture and of natural resources is

crucial for sustainable livelihoods and rural territories

Sustainable livelihoods, landscapes and

ecosystems through system approaches

6. Collective action throughlocal governance and comanagement

1. Agroforestry systems

2 . Restoring degraded pasturelands

3 . Inclusive value chains

4. Economic and market-based instruments

5. Locally led biological corridors

Graduate Programs and Training• 3 PhD Programs: including two joint degrees (U of Idaho, U of

Wales-Bangor)

• 5 MSc programs (blend between natural and social sciences)

• MIAM: Master of International Agribusiness Management (with INCAE Business School)

• MIST: Master of International Sustainable Tourism (with UNT)

• MDP: Master’s in Development Practice

• Diploma in Rural Enterprise Development (with CIAT)

• Rural Leadership (with UCB and IICA)

• Strategic training courses: >20/year

• Tailor-made training (projects; per request)

Graduate School -- Partners

• First Graduate school in agriculture and natural resources in Latin America (1946)

• Graduates from more than 40 countries – emphasis on Central and South America

• Master’s Program: 8 options -- 2000+ graduates

• Doctoral Programs (1996-2010) 34 graduates

• Much cooperation with U.S. institutions

                                                                                                                                                               

Joint Doctoral Program with UI

• Opportunity to carry out research in the tropics with experienced professors

• Strong international orientation

• Combination: Scientific rigor and knowledge application

• English – official language

Joint Doctoral Program with UI

In 2008, The Tropics Foundation created a$100,000 scholarship fund for Latin Americanstudents to participate in the joint CATIE-UI doctoral program. The UI will contribute $100,000 as matching funds for this endeavor.

The Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT-NSF) with UI To date, CATIE has secured two NSF-funded IGERT programs, with total funding of approximately $6 million (2002-2014).

Thank you!