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!