US Forest Service and CATIE's Forest Seed Bank collaborate to strengthen capacities in the region

Coordinator of the US Forest Service Program in Central America visited CATIE

March 16, 2023. The Forest Seed Bank (BSF) of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) contributes to the exchange and research of forest seeds in the Latin American region. In this regard, the BSF established an alliance with the US Forest Service International Programs.

In the context of this partnership, on March 15th, Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of CATIE, and Luis Diego Jiménez, head of the BSF, met with the Coordination of the Regional Program Fighting Illegal Logging of the US Forest Service in Central America, and Allan Mata, specialist in Scientific Affairs of the United States in Embassy in Costa Rica, to discuss cooperation actions that will strengthen the forest seed banks of Central America and the Dominican Republic.

CATIE is currently implementing training activities and developing tools to improve the technical and administrative capacities of forest seed banks so that they can provide the quantity and quality of seed required for restoration projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"This cooperation will strengthen the network of forest seed banks in the region and train community forestry nurseries with the tools and knowledge to respond to the demand for trees of priority species for restoration projects in each country," said Jiménez.

This is expected to be the first of other cooperative actions that may be developed between the two entities in the near future.

CATIE's BSF supplies high quality seeds not only regionally, but worldwide. Seeds are distributed annually to more than 20 countries and technical advice is provided for proper seed management, nursery production and plantation establishment.