The Board of Directors of the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO) has elected Jorge Mario Díaz Luengas as its new Executive Secretary. He will lead the administration of the Fund for the 2027–2029 term. The election took place during the Board’s 30th Annual Meeting, held in Lima in coordination with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Delegation in Peru and Peru’s National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA).

Jorge Mario is an agronomist from the National University of Colombia and holds a master’s degree in Economics from North Carolina State University. The French Government named him a Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit. From 2019 to 2025, he was Executive Director of the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation (AGROSAVIA), where he led the institution’s strategic transformation and managed a team of more than two thousand professionals. His career covers rural public policy, the leadership of research institutions, and international governance. He has served on the CGIAR System Council and represented Colombia on FONTAGRO’s Board of Directors.

The election was a democratic and participatory process in which representatives of the 15 member countries present at the meeting cast their votes. Dr. Christian Barrantes Bravo, President of FONTAGRO and Executive President of INIA Peru, said of the election: “We wish Jorge Mario a successful tenure in the service of agricultural innovation in our countries.”

The Board of Directors wished the new Executive Secretary every success in his duties and thanked the other candidates for their participation and their commitment to strengthening FONTAGRO. It also paid special tribute to Dr. Eugenia Saini, who is completing her third term as Executive Secretary. Under her leadership, FONTAGRO’s figures grew significantly. Cumulative investment exceeded US$168 million, and the number of innovation laboratories across the region reached 227. FONTAGRO now reaches nearly 2 million beneficiaries and more than 500 organizations in 35 countries. Strategic partnerships with institutions, universities and international organizations also expanded during this period. The Board thanked her for her dedication and leadership and wished her every success in her future endeavors.

The new Executive Secretary will take over the administration of FONTAGRO in 2027. His mission will be to continue strengthening regional cooperation in science, technology and innovation, and to keep advancing more productive, sustainable and resilient agrifood systems in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain.