Vision

To improve ecosystems' health to alleviate poverty and to foster inclusive sustainable development.

Areas of contribution

EfD-CA's research focuses on the region's most pressing environmental and development issues such as water scarcity, coastal and marine management, and biodiversity protection.

Affiliation

The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), located in Turrialba, Costa Rica is the host institution of EfD Central America since 2007.

Host institution of EfD-CA

EfD-CA was recognized in August 2020, as an independent research Unit at CATIE, under the name in Spanish Unidad Ambiente para el Desarrollo (EfD-CA).

CATIE is the leading regional research and higher education institution in the fields of agriculture, agroforestry and natural resource management. Its mission is "to contribute to rural poverty reduction by promoting competitive and sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, through higher education, research and technical cooperation."

CATIE's unique strength comes from an integrated approach that combines multiple disciplines (from economics to biotechnology) and various strategies that include research, higher education, training, and technical assistance.