The strengthening of NARS systems and regional cooperation are essential not only to face current difficulties, but also to adapt the NARS for future challenges
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 2018 (IICA). The Delegation of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in the Dominican Republic, within the framework of the agreement signed between the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IICA Headquarters to conduct the study “Capability Analysis of the member institutions of the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO) and the action plan for strengthening these capacities”; conducted a national workshop in the country to gather qualified information on the future role of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (INIAs) and the functionality of the National System of Agricultural Research (SNIA).
As part of this project in the Dominican Republic, a survey was applied to the Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (IDIAF) and the National Council of Agricultural and Forestry Research (CONIAF), the two country’s leading SNIA institutions, and in the particular case of IDIAF as a member of FONTAGRO. This survey is a self-diagnosis in aspects of organization, management, technological capabilities, financing, relationship with other actors within the SNIA and prospective vision. Once the surveys were received, the IICA Delegation in the Dominican Republic organized a workshop with representatives of IDIAF, CONIAF, the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders.
The results of this effort are of particular relevance for the support that IICA will offer to Member States in the framework of its 2018-2022 medium-term plan, which gives particular attention to innovation processes in agriculture under Agro-Food chains and rural territories, highlighting the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities of the bioeconomy, in order to generate multiplier effects and greater resilience to climatic and other conditions.
More information: Héctor Garibaldis Pérez, Specialist in Agribusiness, hector.perez@iica.int
