Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agriculture Innovation Knowledge management

Minister of Science and Technology of Costa Rica endorses CIMAG, an IICA initiative that brings together education and tomorrow’s agriculture

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Adrián Salazar, head of MICITT, offered his support for the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture (CIMAG), which was jointly created by IICA and Microsoft to familiarize young people in the Americas with the use of modern technologies in agriculture.

El ministro de Ciencia, Tecnología y Telecomunicaciones de Costa Rica, Adrián Salazar, junto al Director General del IICA, Manuel Otero, durante su visita al CIMAG.

San Jose, 21 February 2020 (IICA). The Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT) of Costa Rica, Adrián Salazar, supported IICA’s efforts to begin operating the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture (CIMAG), an educational center aimed at teaching youth about the latest technologies that are transforming agriculture.

Salazar praised the initiative during a recent visit to the Headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in San Jose, Costa Rica, where CIMAG is located.

This innovation center, promoted by IICA and Microsoft within the framework of a partnership, highlights the pivotal role of new technologies in the agriculture sector through virtual and interactive experimentation, as well as the use of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, Internet of Things (IoT) and other resources. It also underscores the impact of these technologies on the well-being of rural families.

“Technology is crucial; therefore, we approve of the efforts that IICA is undertaking through CIMAG. The Institute is heading in the right direction, and our ministry stands ready to support all of its initiatives in this regard,” stated the Minister, who was welcomed by Manuel Otero, Director General of the international organization specializing in agriculture.

Salazar added that the center was created at a crucial moment for the agriculture sector, which, on the one hand, must overcome the challenge of capturing the interest of young people and providing them with opportunities for development in rural areas, and, on the other hand, must adapt to changes in terms of production and market demands.

“It is crucial to provide the agriculture sector with cutting-edge technology so that young people can continue working in the field like their parents did, tilling the land and producing food, but in a modern, digitalized manner that is connected to the world of new information and communication technologies,” stated the head of MICITT.

The Director General of IICA thanked minister Salazar for his support and noted that the Institute hoped to replicate CIMAG in other member countries by creating an online version of the center.

“We hope to convert CIMAG, an initiative aimed at educating youth about the technologies that will modernize agriculture in the Americas, into a hemispheric benchmark that brings together multiple horizontal cooperation actions that foster well-being and a better quality of life for the rural population on our continent,” remarked Otero. 

Remarks by Adrián Salazar, Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications of Costa Rica (Spanish only).

More information:

Sacha Trelles, Technical Coordinator of the IICA Delegation in Costa Rica.

sacha.trelles@iica.int

Emmanuel Picado, Manager of Information/Communication Technologies and Digital Agriculture.

emmanuel.picado@iica.int

Share

Related news​

San José, Costa Rica

June 5, 2025

At IICA, Costa Rican cacao producers are recognized for the excellence of their products and for their contribution to rural development and nutrition in the region

Experts analyzed 15 samples of cacao from various parts of the Central American country, with the five that received the highest scores then declared winners of the 2025 competition. The same five samples were sent to Rome, Italy, where they will represent Costa Rica in the international “Cacao of Excellence” competition, the stepping stone to the International Cocoa Awards.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Turrialba, Costa Rica

June 3, 2025

On a study visit to Costa Rica, ministers of Agriculture, rural youth and women of the Eastern Caribbean were introduced to improved agricultural practices

The mission began with two days of activities at IICA Headquarters in San Jose, including meeting with the IICA Director General, Manuel Otero. The visitors then travelled to CATIE.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

June 2, 2025

Ibero-America sees biofuels as a solution to decarbonize the energy sector  

The annual meeting of the Ibero-American Association of Energy Regulators (ARIAE), held in San Jose and Guanacaste, Costa Rica, featured the II Entrepreneurial Forum, attracting 200 participants, including the Costa Rican Minister of Environment and Energy, the Executive Secretary of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) and authorities of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB); the XV Regular Annual Meeting of the ARIAE General Assembly, which was attended by 17 regulatory agencies of ARIAE; and the XXVI Annual Meeting of ARIAE Energy Regulators.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins