FONTAGRO issues call for project proposals on innovation in family agriculture

*All proposals must support innovation platforms to encourage practices that will lead to the sustainable management of natural resources, especially in the family agriculture sector.*

Washington, D.C., April 15, 2015 (IICA). The Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO) has announced the 2015 call for project proposals related to innovations in the sustainable use of natural resources in family agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean.

FONTAGRO, sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), will fund the projects selected with USD 1.6 million of its own resources. The terms of reference of the Call for Proposals, open until June 5, 2015, are available at: http://www.fontagro.org/convocatorias/convocatoria-2015 .

All proposals must support innovation platforms developed by public and private agents, from two or member countries of the Fund, which encourage practices that will lead to the sustainable management of natural resources, especially in the family agriculture sector.

Such projects will help make production and agrifood systems in the region less vulnerable in the medium and long terms.

The conservation of resources is key to the sustainability of agriculture, especially given the negative impacts of climate change, which affect small-scale farmers most seriously.

As part of its strategic guidelines, FONTAGRO supports research and innovation in the family agriculture sector by calling for proposals aimed at promoting the sustainable use of natural resources. Preference is given to proposals dealing with the management of water resources threatened by overuse and contamination, soil degradation and erosion, deforestation, loss of genetic resources and biodiversity, the abandonment of degraded land, as well as the advance of desertification, etc.

FONTAGRO was founded in 1998 and has 15 member countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela, which have contributed some US$100 million to the Fund.

The Fund has co-financed 98 projects and initiatives for its member countries, totaling US$82 million, including contributions from other funding sources and executing units. Its Technical Administrative Secretariat is located in Washington, D.C..

Más información:
priscila.henriquez@iica.int