International Center for Tropical Agriculture

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (known as CIAT from its Spanish-language name Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical) is a not-for-profit research and development organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger while protecting natural resources in developing countries. It is based in Palmira, Colombia where it employs over 300 scientists.[3]

International Center for Tropical Agriculture
AbbreviationCIAT
Merged intoThe Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT [1]
Formation1967
TypeNon-profit research-for-development
Legal statusInternational organization
PurposeResearch for development
HeadquartersCali-Palmira
Location
  • Colombia
Director General
Juan Lucas Restrepo [2]
Parent organization
CGIAR
Websiteciat.cgiar.org

CIAT is one of the 15 specialized research centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and is also the headquarters for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

In 2019, CIAT joined with Bioversity International (as the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT) to "deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives".[4]

Grain legume research

CIAT has a seed depository of 37,000 varieties of beans at a center in Colombia and, as of 2013, was engaged in research on developing better varieties of grain legumes. The goals are tolerances to drought, low phosphorus soils, and heat; in addition to improved nitrogen fixation. CIAT coordinated the activities of the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) in 29 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This effort was supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)[5]

See also

References
  1. The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
  2. Juan Lucas Restrepo
  3. Aldwinckle, Jack (25 March 2015). "Scientists have engineered the food that will help save a starving, warming planet". Quartz (publication).
  4. "Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT". www.bioversityinternational.org. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  5. Neil Palmer (12 February 2013). "Grain legumes come out of the shadows with major research programme". International Center for Tropical Agriculture. Retrieved 19 February 2013.



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