San José, Costa Rica. From July 8 to 10, FONTAGRO held the XXI Annual Technical Monitoring Workshop for Projects, under the motto "Innovating to grow: towards sustainable agri-food systems in the region."

The event, organized with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Government of New Zealand, as part of its contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), the Global Methane Hub, the National Institute of Innovation and Technology Transfer in Agriculture (INTA-Costa Rica) and other national and international organizations committed to research, innovation and sustainable development of the agricultural sector, brought together high-ranking officials, directors, researchers and representatives of agricultural research institutions from Latin America and the Caribbean to share scientific advances, strengthen international cooperation and promote innovative solutions for the transformation of the region's agri-food systems.

Among the participating authorities were Jorge Luis Sáenz Rabanal, Vice Minister of Agricultural Development Policies and Supervision of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation of Peru; Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); Jorge Ganoza Roncal, President of FONTAGRO and Executive President of INIA of Peru; Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO; and Peter Ettema, Special Representative of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). Also participating were directors and representatives of the national agricultural research institutions (INIAS) of the 15 member countries of FONTAGRO and IICA, along with leading researchers of projects that, through science, innovation, and regional cooperation, are developing solutions to strengthen the sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness of agri-food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The second activity, held at the headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in San José, was dedicated to presenting the progress of 33 active FONTAGRO projects, research and innovation initiatives aimed at transforming the agri-food systems of Latin America and the Caribbean.

These projects are being developed within the framework of the flagship programs of the 2025–2030 Medium-Term Plan: Transforming resilient and carbon-neutral cropping systems; Transforming livestock and animal protein systems: productive efficiency with a smaller environmental footprint; Impact 2030: effective scaling up of R&D&I through new models of extension, technology transfer, and public-private partnerships; Digital revolution in agriculture: robotics and artificial intelligence for regional innovation; and The food basket of the future: diversification, innovation, and added value from the biodiversity of Latin America and the Caribbean. During the sessions, the main results achieved by the regional research consortia were shared. These consortia are comprised of national agricultural research institutions, universities, and organizations from the 15 FONTAGRO member countries, as well as other associated international institutions, demonstrating the impact of collaborative research in addressing the challenges of regional agriculture.

As a third activity, the researchers participated in a Knowledge Management and Communication (KM) and administrative management training session, led by the FONTAGRO Technical and Administrative Secretariat team. The training aimed to strengthen the scientific communication skills of the research teams, promote the exchange of experiences and best practices, and enhance the dissemination of project results and impacts, facilitating their engagement with decision-makers, strategic partners, and the public.

FONTAGRO expresses its sincere gratitude to the authorities, researchers, national agricultural research institutions, universities, strategic partners, and international organizations whose participation and commitment made this meeting a success. It also extends special recognition to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), and the National Institute of Innovation and Technology Transfer in Agriculture (INTA-Costa Rica) for their invaluable support in organizing and developing the event, as well as for their ongoing commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and international cooperation to promote more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems in the region.

To learn more about the XXI Annual Technical Monitoring Workshop for Projects and the initiatives promoted by FONTAGRO, visit here.