CATIE and Michigan State University Sign Agreement to Promote Community Development and Sustainable Tourism

• The agreement involves the development of a work plan focusing on student exchange and the attraction of Michigan professors involved in community outreach.

9 November, 2023. The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) has signed a significant collaboration agreement with Michigan State University, aiming to promote community development and sustainable tourism.

The agreement is based on the extensive experience of Michigan State University's Extension Department in working with rural communities, particularly in the fields of community development and tourism.

Professor Andrew Northrop, a representative from Michigan State University, visited CATIE to explore collaboration opportunities between the two institutions, leading to the signing of this agreement. It serves as a memorandum of understanding on how to proceed with immediate outcomes.

The agreement involves the development of a work plan in the coming weeks, focusing on student exchange and the attraction of Michigan professors, especially those involved in community outreach.

CATIE's Director, Muhammad Ibrahim, emphasized the importance of the new extension being different from the traditional 'top-down' approach, seeking a more participatory and community-experience-based approach.

In the short term, the technical infrastructure of CATIE will be used to test a tool called "FIT" (First Impression Tool), successfully implemented in various states in the United States. This tool will be used to assess the tourism potential of local communities in Latin America, representing a tangible example of the possibilities offered by this collaboration.

"One of our interests is to test the experience taking place in the United States, with the purpose of gaining insights from its application in tropical regions and developing nations," said the American professor.

Ibrahim highlighted the importance of working with North American universities, especially those with approaches aligned with the institution's functions.

The Extension Agriculture Unit of the University of Michigan, with its experience in working with small producers and agrotourism, represents a valuable synergy for CATIE, focusing on optimizing agricultural and forest resources in rural areas for transfer to tourism experiences.

Collaborative activities include

The Michigan State University (MSU), located in East Lansing, Michigan, United States, and its College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), are globally recognized as centers of excellence in international agricultural research, education, and outreach.

Some of the proposals included in the memorandum of understanding are:

• On-site visits to meet CATIE staff and students in the International Master's in Sustainable Tourism (MIST) program.
• Field visits to the rural community of Mollejones, Costa Rica.
• Organizing a symposium at CATIE to share experiences from CANR and MSU in sustainable tourism programs.
• Exploring collaborative activities in sustainable tourism, including faculty and student exchanges, study abroad programs, and scholarship opportunities.

This agreement promises to be beneficial for both institutions, fostering collaboration in promoting sustainable tourism and improving communities in the region.