February 2023. FONTAGRO reaches its 25th anniversary consolidating its position as a reference in the region for the generation of scientific knowledge and the creation of collaboration platforms with the objective of transforming the region’s food systems. This has been a constant work carried out during this time, which has allowed the organization to mobilize USD 138 million in operations.
As highlighted by Dr. Arnulfo Gutiérrez, President of FONTAGRO, “All the crises we have gone through make it increasingly evident that FONTAGRO’s presence in the region is a necessity, continuing to enhance its growth and adding more allies in our daily work is critical to, together, achieve the goal of feeding more than 10 billion people by 2050”.
In this regard, in 2023, FONTAGRO is already working on two key moments of the year, the 2023 Call for Proposals, focused on “Science, technology and innovation for a more sustainable and climate change resilient agriculture and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean” and the 2023 – 2024 Successful Cases Contest, focused on innovations in bioeconomy.
To date, the 187 operations have had a direct impact on more than 45,000 beneficiaries. At the same time, more than 80 thousand people have been trained in various topics of great importance for the region. FONTAGRO functions as a connection platform for more than 1,200 researchers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
While gaining global exposure, FONTAGRO is constantly working to develop partnerships. “In these last decades we have demonstrated that working collaboratively is possible and also generates greater value, measured not only by the potential for generating new knowledge and therefore the opportunity to create new technologies and innovations for the sector, but also the strengthening of the capacities of students, professionals and producers, the creation of networks, the mobilization of resources, just to mention a few advantages,” says FONTAGRO’s Executive Committee.
This newsletter, which welcomes the year with a renewed image, also serves as an invitation to follow closely the work of FONTAGRO from the field and at the international level, so that we continue to find spaces for synergy that will allow us to achieve the just and necessary transformation of the region’s food systems in this period that we consider key not only for LAC, but also for the world.
Technical Administrative Secretariat
FONTAGRO
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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.