Strategic Participation of CATIE in the CLAC Assembly Held in Mexico

• Adriana Escobedo, sustainable agribusiness specialist at CATIE, represented the institution as a keynote speaker and as part of the electoral committee. She also participated in the International Conference of Universities for Fair Trade.

The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Small Producers and Workers of Fair Trade (CLAC) held its IX General Assembly of Members in Oaxaca, Mexico, bringing together over 1,000 certified fair trade organizations across 24 countries in the region.

Given its significant reach as a regional entity and its co-ownership of the Fairtrade International system, which promotes se sustainable development, empowerment, and self-management among its members—CATIE's (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) participation takes on special relevance. Through its involvement, CATIE strengthens the agricultural sector by facilitating market access, improving labor conditions, and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Adriana Escobedo, a sustainable agribusiness specialist from CATIE’s Unit for Environmental Economics and Sustainable Agribusiness (UEAAS/EfD), represented the institution as an invited keynote speaker at the assembly. She presented on the topic: “Sustainability in Action: Transforming the Challenges of the Agricultural Sector into Opportunities.”

“In my presentation, I highlighted the main challenges faced by small producer organizations (SPOs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, including social, environmental, and economic aspects, with an emphasis on markets and climate change,” the specialist explained.

Escobedo also emphasized that sustainable value chains were presented as a key strategy for CLAC’s initiatives. In this context, it is important to note that CLAC has eight product networks, including coffee, bananas, honey, cocoa, juices, and fruits, as well as sugarcane and other products from Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

During the CLAC assembly session, a new board of directors was elected, featuring young women in key roles such as president and secretary. This marked a step toward balancing representation, as it also included members with over 20 years of experience within the organization since its foundation. CATIE participated in the electoral committee to support representation and transparency during this process.

A Strategic Participation for CATIE

CATIE’s relationship with CLAC was strategically strengthened through this participation, opening new opportunities for collaborative projects, such as joining the second phase of the Sustainable Banana Project.

Additionally, on November 18, Escobedo participated in the International Conference of Universities for Fair Trade, where six universities from Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile shared their experiences and actions within this initiative.

This provided an opportunity for CATIE, through its Master's in Sustainable Agribusiness and Markets (GANEMOS), to position itself as a university for fair trade.

Escobedo explained that achieving recognition as a university for fair trade would complement GANEMOS' development and align with CATIE’s institutional mission.

Projects within the Framework of CLAC

In the past, CATIE’s sustainable agribusiness team collaborated with CLAC on two projects. The first was the Climate-Adapted Inclusive Coffee Enterprises Project in Bolivia, which provided training to SPOs in the Yungas region on business, organizational, and financial management..

The second project was part of the Sustainable Banana Program, which strengthened business and organizational skills among small producers in Peru and the Dominican Republic..