CATIE and INTA Strengthen Cooperation in Education and Agricultural Development

• Meeting highlights opportunities for staff training and joint projects.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and Costa Rica's National Institute for Innovation and Transfer in Agricultural Technology (INTA) reaffirm their commitment to strengthening education and research in the agricultural sector.

This shared interest was discussed during a meeting where Dr. Luis Ernesto Pocasangre, CATIE's Director General, welcomed a delegation from INTA led by its National Director, Dr. Roberto Camacho, at the institution's facilities.

Key topics included the professional development of INTA staff through master's degree programs at CATIE's Graduate School, which are expected to begin in the first quarter of this year.

“The Minister of Agriculture has expressed his commitment by allocating a fund of 50 million colones (approximately USD 100,000) to support this initiative. This is undoubtedly a strategic investment in the human capital of the agricultural sector," said Dr. L. E. Pocasangre.

Additionally, both parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in continuing to collaborate on projects related to cacao cultivation in the southern region of the country. This joint effort aims to enhance the productivity and sustainability of the cacao sector, a critical activity for both the economy and environmental conservation. This aligns with the goals of the International Cocoa Congress: Innovation, Genetics, and Agroforestry for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Production, which will be held from October 7 to 9, 2025, on CATIE's campus.

Lastly, the need to offer a specialized statistics course for INTA's research staff was proposed, further strengthening their capacities.