On June 25, FONTAGRO launched its new initiative Scientific Coffee, a knowledge-exchange platform designed to strengthen collaboration among research teams within its project network in Latin America and the Caribbean. The first session brought together 30 researchers from the FONTAGRO scientific community, who participated in a technical dialogue aimed at sharing scientific advances, methodologies, and experiences that contribute to accelerating agricultural innovation in the region.

The event was inaugurated by Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO, and Martín Oesterheld, Scientific Operations Specialist, who highlighted the importance of consolidating permanent peer-to-peer learning spaces to strengthen scientific cooperation and expand the impact of projects funded by the Fund.

The session featured Mónica Betancourt, a researcher at AGROSAVIA (Colombia), who presented the main results of the project "Strengthening capacities for the prevention and management of Fusarium wilt in Latin America and the Caribbean", funded by FONTAGRO. During her presentation, she highlighted advances in the development of integrated management strategies and the collaborative work among institutions in the region to strengthen the prevention, early detection, and control of this disease, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of banana and plantain production systems.

As part of the Scientific Coffee dynamic, the session included a dedicated knowledge-transfer space, in which the panelist shared lessons learned and methodologies applicable to other research projects. Subsequently, participants exchanged questions, experiences, and opportunities for collaboration, fostering new synergies among the network's scientific teams.

The Scientific Coffee is part of FONTAGRO's Knowledge Management and Communication strategy and will take place through weekly meetings, in which leading researchers present the progress of their projects and share technical capacities with other teams. The initiative seeks to strengthen the scientific community, foster collaborative learning, and enhance the regional impact of agri-food research.

With this first meeting, FONTAGRO reaffirms its commitment to promoting science, innovation, and knowledge exchange as pillars for building more sustainable, resilient, and competitive agri-food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.