CATIE shares its experience in Payments for Environmental Services at an international workshop in Mexico

• Róger Madrigal, coordinator of the Environmental Economics and Sustainable Agribusiness Unit (UEAAS/EfD) at the Center, participated in the session titled “PES in Latin America,” where the implementation trajectories were analyzed.

From March 4 to 6, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) participated in the International Workshop on Implementation Challenges in Payments for Environmental Services (PES) Programs, held in the Lacandon Jungle, Chiapas, Mexico. This forum provided a space to analyze the challenges and opportunities in the development and implementation of PES programs in Mexico and other countries in the region.

The workshop included the exchange of practical experiences, lessons from scientific literature on the subject, and strategies to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of PES.

This event brought together international experts in environmental economics, conservation policies, and natural resource management, including representatives from Duke University, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Seattle University, the University of the Andes (UNI ANDES), Purdue University, Indiana University, as well as Natura and Mexican Ecosystems, among others.

Representing CATIE, researcher Róger Madrigal, coordinator of the Environmental Economics and Sustainable Agribusiness Unit (UEAAS/EfD), participated. He shared the case of Costa Rica, with a special focus on the factors that have enabled the permanence of PES over time, as well as CATIE’s experience in designing and implementing PES in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

During his presentation, Madrigal highlighted: “Payments for Environmental Services programs are a fundamental tool in ecosystem conservation; however, their success depends on appropriate design, effective governance, stable funding sources, and continuous monitoring to ensure their long-term impact.”

New Collaborations

CATIE's presence at this international event not only reinforces its commitment to applied research and the creation of strategies that promote Inclusive Green Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, but also allowed for strengthening collaboration with other institutions and exploring new opportunities for joint research in the field of PES and ecosystem services conservation.