February, 2023-. With a presentation entitled “Building Agricultural Research Ecosystems”, Dr. Eugenia Saini presented FONTAGRO’s case study to a distinguished audience during the Global Development Seminar Series at Cornell University’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
In the presentation Saini highlighted the importance of science, innovation and technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; making food systems more resilient, sustainable and efficient; caring for the environment and providing nutritious food to the world, among others.
In the midst of the discussion, the case of FONTAGRO was presented as a unique co-financing mechanism of its kind “The role of our organization has been key in the region. To date, we have managed to mobilize more than 137 million dollars in operations, creating science, technology and innovations to provide solutions to problems felt in our member countries, which are also open for consultation by the rest of the world,” he said.
The Global Development Perspectives seminars focus on presenting innovative approaches to development with experts from around the world. Dr. Saini is an agricultural engineer with a PhD in Agricultural Sciences and a Certified Public Accountant. She is passionate about agriculture, feeding people and improving the lives of farmers. She has 25 years of experience in strategic planning and execution of international cooperation in science and innovation, promoting agribusiness and sustainable development. She has been Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO since 2017.
Cornell University is an academic institution of higher education in the United States that belongs to the prestigious Ivy League. Its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is the most renowned institution in its field.
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About FONTAGRO
FONTAGRO was created 1998 with the purpose of promoting the increase of the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and the reduction of poverty in the region. The objective of FONTAGRO is to establish itself as a sustainable financing mechanism for the development of agricultural technology and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean and Spain, and to establish a forum for the discussion of priority topics of technological innovation. The member countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. In the last 21 years 167 regional agricultural innovation platforms have been co-financed for an amount of US $ 124 million, which has reached 452 institutions and 33 countries worldwide.