The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (known as CIAT from its
Spanish-language
Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 millio ...
name ''Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical)'' is an international 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.
CIAT is one of the 15 specialized research centers of the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food ...
(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".
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 legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock for ...
s. 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
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was a federal Canadian organization that administered foreign aid programs in developing countries. The agency was merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the federal governmen ...
(CIDA)
See also
*
Bioversity International
*
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a nonprofit organization that works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture, with the ultimate ...
References
External links
International Center for Tropical AgricultureCCAFS
International research institutes
Research institutes in Colombia
Agricultural research institutes
Agricultural organisations based in Colombia
Organizations with year of establishment missing
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