Caribbean Agricultural Research And Development Institute (CARDI)
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The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) carries out research and development for agriculture in the Caribbean region. Its headquarters are on the campus of the
University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...
(UWI), at
St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
in
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
and it also has national offices throughout the region.


History

CARDI's roots are to be found in the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), run by the British in Trinidad. In 1955 a Regional Research Centre (RRC) was established as part of ICTA. With withdrawal of British funding foreseen in the late-1960s, RRC's staff was transferred to the Faculty of Agriculture of UWI. The RRC had become particularly known for carrying out soil surveys and for the production of soil maps of Caribbean countries, as well as for research on traditional food crops and on pests, diseases and weed management. Within the context of the
Treaty of Chaguaramas The Treaty of Chaguaramas established the Caribbean Community and Common Market, popularly known as CARICOM. It was signed on 4 July 1973 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago. It was signed by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. ...
, which promoted regional cooperation, the region's Heads of Government appointed a team to examine both RRC and regional agricultural research in general. This concluded that RRC should be replaced by a new regional organization that would be independent of UWI and be responsible to the CARICOM Standing Committee of Ministers of Agriculture. Following acceptance of these recommendations CARDI was established in 1975. At its inception, 12 CARICOM member countries signed the agreement to establish CARDI: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts–Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. These provide funds for the Institute's core budget, while funding for projects comes from donor agencies.


Activities

CARDI is charged with a wide range of development activities, in addition to the strengthening of regional collaboration for agricultural research. These include the upgrading of facilities for intra-regional agricultural trade and transport and the evaluation of investment opportunities, as well as the provision of market intelligence. Emphasis is placed on
roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
and
tubers Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reprod ...
, cereals and pulses, hot peppers, fruits and vegetables and small
ruminants Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principa ...
.


References

{{authority control Agricultural organizations based in the Caribbean Agricultural research institutes
Agricultural Research Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Professiona ...
International organizations based in the Caribbean Research institutes in Trinidad and Tobago