Strategic research guidelines: emphasis on agriculture

Abstract

With the current advances of globalization, the member countries of CATIE are seeking to protect natural resources and fulfill the priorities of agricultural production. This has led CATIE’s Board of Directors to implement an agricultural research plan designed in accordance with the resources, competitive advantages and requirements of the region. It fosters the development of strategies in the fields of biotechnology, plant protection and the conservation of genetic resources in agroforestry systems, and emphasizes the importance of activities connected to the molecular characterization of genetic materials and the identification and biological control of pests. The plan will be implemented over the next decade and an agricultural research strategy that stands in alliance with nature will be put into practice. The fundamentals of this plan are described here.