FONTAGRO WAS CREATED IN 1998
BY A GROUP OF VISIONARIES IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR
IN THE LAC REGION, TO HAVE A DEDICATED MECHANISM TO SUSTAINABLY FINANCE AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION.
IT IS A PIONEER COOPERATION AND FINANCING MECHANISM, UNIQUE IN THE WORLD.
It has its own capital, the result of initial donations from Canada and the IDB, and progressive contributions from member countries.
As of December 2018, FONTAGRO has capital of more than US$97 million, of which US$83 million correspond to contributions from member countries and US$14 million to the interests of the capital.
OUR PURPOSE
FONTAGRO, IN LINE WITH THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs), PROMOTES THE INCREASE OF COMPETITIVENESS IN THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR, WHILE ENSURING SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN THE REGION.
THE TWO SPONSORS OF FONTAGRO AND ITS PARTNERS ARE ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE MECHANISM.
OUR SPONSORS
OUR PARTNERS
Governance
The Board of Directors is constituted by the president of the national agricultural research institutes of the member countries.
In addition, FONTAGRO has an Executive Committee, a Financial Committee, and an Administrative Technical Secretariat.
Institutional documents:
Institutions members of our Board of Directors
OUR MEDIUM-TERM PLAN 2015-2020
Our vision:
To be an internationally recognized cooperation mechanism to strengthen agri-food and agribusiness innovation in a sustainable manner among the member countries.
Our mission:
To contribute to innovation in family farming through cooperation among member countries, by promoting competitiveness and food security with the criteria of equity and sustainability.
STRATEGIC LINES
ADAPTATION TO, AND MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE
TECHNOLOGICAL, ORGANIZATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION
SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
COMPETITIVENESS OF VALUE CHAINS, IN A FRAMEWORK OF EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
15 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
Together, the member countries of FONTAGRO represent
%
OF THE WORLD'S GDP
%
OF THE GDP OF THE REGION
%
OF THE WORLD'S AGRICULTURAL AREA
%
OF THE ARABLE LAND
%
OF THE PRAIRIES AND PASTURES
IFAD. 2010. Latin America: The State of Smallholders in Agriculture. Rome, Italy.
DURING 20 YEARS OF ACTIVITY, FONTAGRO HAS CO-FINANCED MORE THAN
projects
for a total amount of
million US$
For each US$1 invested,
US$1.25 is mobilized from other agencies, and US$3.75 as counterpart from the countries.
THE PROJECTS FINANCED BY FONTAGRO HAVE GENERATED
SOME EXAMPLES OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND KNOWLEDGE INCLUDE:
Development of 10 new commercial apiculture products
Tropical livestock systems adapted to climate change
Banana agroindustrial processing and marketing
Improvements in water productivity in the Southern Cone
New potato varieties with pro-poor impact
Coffee genome sequencing
Drought tolerant corn and maize resistant to insects and diseases
and much more …
According to our last evaluation of results
as of 2018,
7 PROJECTS
CO-FINANCED BY FONTAGRO WITH A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF
US$8.1 MILLION HAVE GENERATED
ECONOMIC BENEFITS ESTIMATED AT
US$83.3 MILLION.
1 - Development of sweet potato products in Latin America (1998)
Argentina | Peru | Dominican Republic | |
Investment: US$ 970,000 Benefits: US$ 19,192,934 |
3 - Strengthening banana value chains: technological innovations to reduce agrochemicals (2006)
Colombia | Ecuador | Venezuela | |
Investment: US$ 621,216 Benefits: US$ 785,705 |
2 - Technological innovations and access to market for producers of native potatoes (2005)
Colombia | Bolivia | Ecuador | Perú | Venezuela | |
Inversión: US$ 1,066,405 Beneficios: US$ 204,257 |
4 - Development and application of ecological practices in the management of potato pests in the Andean region (2006)
Bolivia | Ecuador | Peru | |
Investment: US$ 900,000 Benefits: US$ 1,740,476 |
THESE BENEFITS ALONE COVER AROUND 79% OF ALL INVESTMENTS MADE BY FONTAGRO AND ITS PARTNERS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS
AND INVOLVE A COST BENEFIT RATIO OF 1 TO 10.
6 - Technological Innovation Strategy to Improve Productivity and Competitiveness of Product Chains (2009)
Belize | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras | Nicaragua | Panama | Dominican Republic | |
Investment: US$ 1,533,458 Benefits: US$ 508,842 |
5 - Biological assays development for the sustainable production of vegetables in the Andes (2007)
Bolivia | Colombia | Peru | |
Investment: US$ 924,400 Benefits: US$ 906,478 |
7 - Research and Development Innovation Network: Pro-poor Impact with New Potato Varieties in the Andean Zone (2007)
Bolivia | Colombia | Ecuador | Peru | |
Investment: US$ 1,123,594 Benefits: US$ 52,185,897 |
LOOKING AT THE FUTURE
A REVIEW OF RELEVANT TRENDS IS REQUIRED
1. Demographic growth, urbanization and aging
4. Climate change
7. The private sector increases its participation in global agricultural RDI
10. Pests and transboundary diseases
2. Consolidation of the global wealth moving process
5. Increasing demand for animal protein
8. Productivity, sustainable intensification and innovation as a dominant paradigm
11. Conflicts, crises and disasters
3. Competition for natural resources
6. Greater protagonism and segmentation of consumers
9. The bioeconomy as a framework for agri-food production
12. Financing for development
IT WILL NOT BE WITHOUT CHALLENGES …
20 years promoting science, technology and innovation for family farming in Latin America and the Caribbean.
FONTAGRO THANKS ITS SPONSORS, PARTNERS AND STRATEGIC ALLIES FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
© FONTAGRO | 1300 New York Avenue NW, Stop W052 Washington, DC 20577, EEUU | E-mail: fontagro@iadb.org