The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) today welcomed a distinguished international delegation to its Headquarters for a strategic courtesy call aimed at deepening agricultural innovation and regional food security.
The high-level delegation included Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); Ms. Diana Francis, IICA Representative in Trinidad and Tobago; Mr. Cleber Soares, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil; and Ms. Priscila Rech Moser, Agricultural Attaché at the Embassy of Brazil in Costa Rica.
The visiting officials met with CARDI’s leadership team, led by Executive Director Mr Ansari Hosein, along with Mr Fayaz Shah (Manager, Science, Technology and Innovation), Mr Tristan Alvarez (Manager, Planning and Resource Mobilization), and Mr Curtis Nero (Head, Finance Unit). Discussions centered on several ongoing regional projects and future avenues of technical cooperation between the Caribbean, IICA, and Brazil.
A key highlight of the visit was a special exhibition showcasing tangible outputs from the robust CARDI-IICA partnership. On display were high-yield black-eyed peas from recent pilot initiatives, commercial-grade soybeans and black beans produced in Belize, and multiple climate-resilient varieties of sweet potato.
Additionally, the Brazilian Deputy Minister was given a live demonstration of innovative digital tracking technology deployed by CARDI to detect the larvae of the South American Palm Weevil. This technology plays a critical role in mitigating the pest’s spread, safeguarding the region’s coconut and palm industries.
This courtesy call underscores a shared commitment to deploying cutting-edge agricultural science and cross-border partnerships to build a more sustainable and climate-resilient food system across the Americas and the Caribbean.
Caption: IICA Director General DR MUHAMMED IBRAHIM (left) discusses sweet potato yields with CARDI’s Executive Director ANSARI HOSEIN (right) and Technical Manager FAYAZ SHAH.
Caption: CARDI’s JUDAH JESSOP explains the workings of a pheromone trap to CLEBER SOARES, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil, as CARDI Executive Director ANSARI HOSEIN looks on.
