Cocoa Borlaug Fellows Program - Dominican Republic – Central American Free Trade Agreement and Mexico

Project Dates: 2007-2012

 

 

Eligible Countries: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; Mexico

 

Funders: US Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service and World Cocoa Foundation

 

Implementer: World Cocoa Foundation and select research institutions

 

Overview

The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program will sponsor four scientists from the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) countries and two scientists from Mexico to complete a 6 to 8-week fellowship in the United States. Fellows will work closely with their assigned mentor, learn new research techniques, access fully equipped libraries, and learn about public-private research partnerships. It is expected that the Fellows will apply the knowledge obtained through the program in their own research and teaching activities, and share it with colleagues at their home institutions and throughout their countries.  The fellows’ mentors will then have the opportunity to travel to the fellows’ institutions.

 

 

Program Objectives:

 

To build the capacity of research institutes in cocoa producing countries to conduct research that supports the modernization and competiveness of the cocoa sector

To improve researchers’ understanding of the cocoa supply chain

To strengthen networks between US and producing country research institutes

 

Progress to Date: One of the fellows from DR-CAFTA countries has been selected:

 

Eric Eger, FundaSistemas (Guatemala):  will study integrated management of frosty pod rot at Rutgers University with Prof. Tom Gianfagna.