Projects and Flagship Initiatives in Colombia
To address the challenges we seek to resolve in Colombia and achieve positive impact through our work, we undertake several projects in different parts of the country.
Future Seeds
In March 2022, the Alliance inaugurated Future Seeds at its campus in Palmira, Colombia, which seeks to efficiently and effectively preserve and distribute the genetic resources of beans, cassava, rice, and tropical forages.
This bank is part of the 11 international banks of CGIAR and focuses on the conservation of bean, tropical forage, and cassava crops.
USA - USAID - SERVIR-Amazonia
Led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), SERVIR-Amazon is the latest of five regional centers operated by SERVIR. It is a program that brings together local knowledge and the best of science in geospatial technology and Earth observation.
During its first year of operations, SERVIR-Amazon has focused on assessing geospatial information needs for environmental decision making in Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Through its interactions with more than 600 potential users and more than 70 decision makers, more than 50 ideas for the generation of specific geospatial data and information, as well as training services, have been identified. These activities have allowed SERVIR-Amazon to gain an in-depth understanding of the needs and priorities of the countries involved, and has consolidated its role as a reference in the generation of technical capacities and resources in the region.
Read more about the project here
Clima-LoCa
Clima-LoCa is a regional project that addresses important challenges related to resilience, competitiveness and inclusion of the growing cocoa sectors.
The Clima-LoCa project represents the promotion of climate-relevant, low-cadmium innovations and research to improve the inclusion of the growing cocoa sectors in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Twelve organizations in seven countries are working on this initiative, with the aim of benefiting a total of 50,000 producers indirectly in the future.
Carbon sequestration through deep root systems - Bezos Earth Fund
This project focuses on utilizing genetic diversity and developing new root ideotypes in tropical forage grasses and rice to improve carbon assimilation capacity through photosynthesis and deep rooting capacity, thereby contributing to carbon storage in tropical soils.
Nuevas variedades de café en un vivero de una finca cafetera del Cauca, suroeste de Colombia. De la serie de estudios de caso Two Degrees Up sobre el efecto del cambio climático en la agricultura.
©Alianza de Bioversity International y CIAT
Una caficultora que intercala cultivos con pimienta, en su finca del Cauca, suroeste de Colombia. De la serie de estudios de caso Two Degrees Up sobre el efecto del cambio climático en la agricultura.
©Alianza de Bioversity International y CIAT/NeilPalmer
Sistemas ganaderos silvopastorales en el departamento del Cauca, en el suroeste de Colombia. Los investigadores de la Alianza están trabajando con los ganaderos de la región para ayudar a aumentar la adopción del silvopastoreo, que puede mejorar la productividad y los ingresos, proteger y restaurar los suelos y reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de los sistemas ganaderos.
©Alianza de Bioversity International y CIAT/NeilPalmer
Procesamiento de cacao en una finca del departamento del Guaviare, Colombia.
©Alianza de Bioversity International y CIAT/NeilPalmer
Aprovechamiento del caucho en Guaviare, Colombia.
© Alianza de Bioversity International y CIAT/NeilPalmer
La inauguración del nuevo banco de germoplasma Future Seeds. El nuevo banco de germoplasma del CGIAR, que tuvo lugar el 15 de marzo de 2022 en Cali, Colombia, con la presencia de Iván Duque Márquez, Presidente de la República de Colombia, y Rodolfo Zea Navarro, Ministro de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural de Colombia. Durante el evento, Joe Tohme, director del área de investigación de Cultivos para la Nutrición y la Salud de la Alianza de Bioversity International y el CIAT, fue condecorado con la Orden Nacional al Mérito en el grado de Gran Caballero.
©Alianza de Bioversity International y CIAT/Juan Pablo García
Sustainable Agrifood Colombia
In the future, it is projected that many departments of the country will face large losses in the production of basic crops due to climate change, unless corrective measures are taken. This project arose as a response to the challenges of climate change in Colombia's agricultural sector, seeking to promote sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural development.
The ultimate goal of Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock Colombia is to establish a solid foundation for a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future in the country. Through the implementation of this project, it is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, ensure adequate and stable food availability and mitigate the effects of climate change on agricultural production.
Read more about the project here
Agroclimatic Technical Tables (MTAs)
The Agroclimatic Technical Tables (MTA) are an innovative initiative that began as part of the CCAFS program, which seeks to integrate stakeholders in the agricultural sector at the local level to inform, especially small producers, about expected changes in the climate of their region, how these may affect their crops and what they can do to reduce negative impacts.
The MTAs provide opportunities for discussion among these actors for the management of local agro-climatic information, in order to identify the best practices for adapting to climate phenomena, which are then transferred to local technicians and producers through the Local Agro-climatic Bulletin. This bulletin summarizes the seasonal predictions and climate forecasts analyzed at the table, along with recommendations and adaptive measures by crop type.
Biofortified crops
We have helped to combat malnutrition in the country and the region by developing, distributing and promoting biofortified crops rich in micronutrients (iron, zinc and provitamin A), which are also more tolerant to certain climatic variables. The implementation of our biofortified food strategy in Colombia has been arduous and has required the involvement of many national and local entities, especially farmers and communities. To fulfill the purpose of benefiting a large percentage of the rural population, a product development and delivery plan has been designed for biofortified crops, which includes dissemination and differentiated promotion strategies for farmers and consumers.
The Biofortified program has more than 110 partners, distributed in 27 departments and to date has trained more than 8 thousand people in integrated crop management, production of agricultural bio-inputs, post-harvest practices, food processing and marketing.
Bioaprendiz
For more than 22 years we have been facilitating the implementation of practical science and technology processes in educational institutions in Cali and Valle del Cauca. Through the Bio-Apprendiz program, students from educational institutions attached to the Centro Auxiliar de Servicios Docentes (CASD) of Cali have the opportunity to visit our campus, learn about our innovations and exchange with researchers from different areas to learn about the forefront of science and innovation in biotechnology in a simple and fun way. The purpose of these visits is to encourage young people in grades 10 and 11 of these educational institutions to adopt biotechnology in their classrooms, spread it with their parents and classmates and promote scientifically based knowledge in the institutions.