Especial ¡Soluciones! - 2008 by Escuela Agrícola Panamericana, Zamorano

La Ciencia vs Amarillamiento Letal del Coco

Science vs coconut’s lethal yellowing

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

CenterFor

edición 1, año 2008

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

PESPECTIVA

PESPECTIVE

ZAMORANO ESTABLECE

AUMENTANDO INGRESOS

Zamorano promueve alternativas a la producción agrícola con el objetivo de aumentar los ingresos de las comunidades que vive y labora en la zona rural. Al mismo tiempo, Zamorano disminuye la pérdida ambiental, cultural y artística en la región.

INCREASING INCOME

Zamorano promotes alternatives to farming as a means of increasing the income of the predominately rural population. At the same time, Zamorano is decreasing environmental, cultural and artistic loss in the region.

7 A través de los agentes de extensión y en organizaciones no gubernamentales, Zamorano entrena a pequeños acuicultores sobre la importancia del valor nutritivo de la Tilapia y su producción.

Zamorano uses extension agents and non governmental organizations to train small farmers on the importance of sustainability of Tilapia and their production ponds.

11 ZAMORANO ESTABLECE CENTRO DE ENERGÍA RENOVABLE

ZAMORANO ESTABLECE CENTRO DE ENERGÍA RENOVABLE

COMBATIENDO el

Fighting In Zamornao’s Applied Biotechnology Lab at Zamorano, one of the few of its kind in Central America, scientists perform molecular (DNA) testing for pathogens and develop methods used to manage lethal yellowing.

En Zamorano En el Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada de Zamorano, uno de los pocos de su clase en América Central, científicos realizan pruebas moleculares (ADN) en patógenos y desarrollan métodos para el manejo delamarillamiento letal del coco.

21 Working with extension agents, teachers, researchers, trainers, students, and technicians, PROMIPAC has reached at least 50,000 people engaged in the production, processing, and marketing of domestic and export crops.

Trabajando con los extensionistas, profesores, investigadores, capacitadores, estudiantes, y técnicos, PROMIPAC ha alcanzado aproximadamente a 50,000 personas comprometidas con la producción, procesamiento y comercialización de cultivos domésticos y para exportación.

Se parte de la

Be part of the

SOLUCIÓN

SOLUTION

29 PRÓXIMAMENTE EQUIPO EDITORIAL

COMING IN 2009 EDITORIAL TEAM

Director Creativo LUIS SALAZAR Supervisor MARTIN SCHWARZ Redactores LEXI, DON POUCHER Editor (Español) NERY APELLIDO Editor (Inglés) VICENTE MURPHY Diseño Gráfico NAHUM SAUCEDA Fotografía DIRECCIÓN DE COMUNICACIONES Contribuidores NOMBRE APELLIDO

Creative Director Supervisor Writers Copy Editor (Spanish) Copy Editor (English) Graphic Design Photography Contributors

CONTRIBUTORS Contributors

KENNETH L. HOADLEY

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MARIO CONTRERAS

ALFREDO RUEDA

MARTA CÁLIX

DANIEL MEYER

MARIA MERCEDESA ROCA

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Posee una especialidad en Marketing Turístico de La Escuela De Ciencias Turísticas de Roma, Italia. Su formación básica es licenciada en comunicación social y turismo, graduada de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Campiñas. Sao Paulo. Brasil. Tiene mas de 20 años de experiencia en mercadeo turístico e investigación en turismo en espacios rurales. Ha coordinado el proyecto Alianza para el desarrollo de turismo rural binacional en Ocotepeque (Honduras) y Chalatenango (El Salvador).

Perspective

Z Zamorano strives to lead the development of a “New Agriculture” in Central America and the Andean region, promoting the transformation of rural populations into sectors that are sustai-

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nable and globally competitive.

amorano University, formerly known as the Pan American School of Agriculture, is pleased to present ¡Soluciones!, a magazine publication highlighting some of the outreach activities of the university throughout the Americas. Initially an annual publication, ¡Soluciones! will keep graduates, individuals, foundations, corporate, government and non-governmental agencies informed of the impact of Zamorano throughout Latin America. Zamorano is a private international university founded in Honduras in 1942 to serve tropical agriculture throughout the Americas. Zamorano’s mission is to develop leaders through rigorous education programs based on studentcentered learning, character development, entrepreneurship, and Pan Americanism; and to contribute to the regions economic development through applied research and outreach activities with supportive education programs. Zamorano is most famous for its Learn-by-Doing philosophy and approach to education. Zamorano offers B.S. level degrees in Science and Production, Agroindustry, Agribusiness Management, and Socio-economic Development and the Environment. Current enrollment totals 1,050 students originating from 18 countries (33% are women). In fact, this year, Zamorano celebrates 25 years of women on campus. Two-thirds of our student body receive full or partial financial assistance. Since its founding, Zamorano has graduated almost 6,000 technically competent leaders involved in all aspects of agriculture, agribusiness and natural resources management in the public and private sectors. Our academic program is officially recognized by the Honduran Council of Higher Education and by formal agreement AUPRICA throughout Central America. Of special note are the 20 Ph.D. faculty members and scientists on permanent staff. Zamorano maintains an exceptional professor to student ratio of 12 to 1. In its development vision, Zamorano commands recognition as a leading Latin American university for the quality and impact of its education, applied research and outreach programs for the development of sustainable and globally competitive agricultural and food industries, conservation and responsible management

of natural resources, and rural transformation and poverty reduction. In addition to its prestigious undergraduate degree programs, Zamorano has developed extensive experience in applied research and development projects in the fields of sustainable tropical agriculture, agro-industry, agribusiness management, rural development, biodiversity, conservation, and natural resources/environmental management. Zamorano addresses the “value chain” in all of its activities. Project activities are carried out in partnership with agribusiness enterprises, numerous governments, international development organizations, and industry and community associations throughout the region. Approximately 20,000 rural families, farmer-extension agents, agricultural technicians, educators, policy makers, and researchers in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and other Latin American countries currently participate in sustainable development projects implemented or supported by Zamorano. These projects are financed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, COSUDE, IADB, the Kellogg Foundation, World Bank, USAID, and other multinational and bi-national partners/donors. Zamorano strives to lead the development of a “New Agriculture” in Central America and the Andean region, promoting the transformation of rural populations into sectors that are sustainable and globally competitive. Zamorano’s capabilities are rooted in the university’s solid human resource base and physical infrastructure, as well as its proven capacity to integrate sound science and applied technologies with effective methods of technology generation and transfer; a willingness and ability to work productively and harmoniously with partners on an equal basis; a strong record of quantifiable impact with major projects; and a capacity for intelligent dialogue on major competitiveness issues of importance to Latin America. Zamorano has also built a solid network of reputable partners among world-class universities, private sector and non-government

KENNETH L. HOADLEY

President, Zamorano University

Zamorano strives to lead the development of a “New Agriculture” in Central America and the Andean region, promoting the transformation of rural populations into sectors that are sustainable and globally competitive.

KENNETH L. HOADLEY

President, Zamorano University

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www.zamorano.edu

Perspective

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zamorano´s outreach magazine

Alternativas laborares en el campo

ZAMORANO

Turismo Rural impulsa el

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n el valle de Yeguare en el centro de Honduras, C.A., los moradores están aprendiendo que hay más formas de vida en la finca que solamente la producción de cultivos. La Escuela Agrícola Panamericana (EAP), también conocida como Zamorano, está promoviendo alternativas de producción con el objetivo de aumentar los ingresos de la gente que predominantemente provienen de la zona rural. Al mismo tiempo, Zamorano está disminuyendo la pérdida ambiental, cultural y artística en la región. “El objetivo es implementar operaciones conjuntas orientadas a promover el desarrollo económico local y contribuir a la mejora de los estándares de vida de los residentes rurales mediante experiencias educativas significativas,” dice Martha Cálix, coordinadora del área de Turismo Rural en Zamorano. Según Cálix, los estudiantes Festival local

Los festivales y las ferias mejoran estándares de vida y aumentan la conservación ambiental. Los agricultores y los artesanos de más de 50 áreas participaron en la primera feria turística y de alimento agrícola el 28 de julio 2007 demostrando y vendiendo sus productos.

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Non agro-related alternatives

ZAMORANO

Rural Tourism impulsa el

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n the Yeguare Valley of central Honduras, residents are learning there’s more to life on the farm than farming. For the last X years, Zamorano has been promoting alternatives to farming as a means of increasing the income of the predominately poor, rural population. At the same time, Zamorano’s efforts are decreasing environmental, cultural and artistic loss in the region. “Our objective is to implement joint activities which promote local economic development and thus, contribute to the improvement of the living standards of rural communities through meaningful educational experiences,” says Martha Calix, Zamorano’s Coordinator of Rural Tourism. According to Calix, Zamorano students are directly engaged in helping approximately 24,000 Yeguare residents in five municipalities organize local festivals and fairs for displaying and selling food, locally produced beverages, arts and crafts, and other services. The festivals and fairs improve living standards and increase en-

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

The festivals and fairs improve living standards and increase environmental conservation. More than fifty area farmers and crafts-persons participated in the first such Agricultural Tourism and Food Fair on July 28, 2007 by exhibiting and selling their products.

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de Zamorano están directa e indirectamente involucrados a ayudar a 24.000 residentes del valle de Yeguare en cinco municipios. La ayuda consiste en la organización de festivales y ferias locales para exhibir y vender el alimento y bebidas elaborados en la comunidad, así como artículos y objetos manufacturados por artesanos comunales. Los festivales y las ferias mejoran estándares de vida y aumentan la conservación ambiental. Los agricultores y los artesanos de más de 50 áreas participaron en la primera feria turística y de alimento agrícola el 28 de julio 2007 demostrando y vendiendo sus productos. El objetivo de la iniciativa de Yeguare es poner las actividades en ejecución, mismas que mejorarán los estándares de vida de residentes locales y al mismo tiempo mantendrán la calidad del ambiente y de la vida en general. Explica el Coordinador de la iniciativa del Proyecto Yeguare, Carlos Ardon, que “las discusiones del turismo son confusas ocasionalmente, porque algunos piensan que el turismo es solamente playa y sol. Algunos municipios pueden tener industrias turísticas atractivas que ofrezcan una variedad de servicios y de productos con sus recursos existentes de los cuales tengan una historia enriquecedora“ Ardón dice que con esfuerzos de la universidad de Zamorano,

la iniciativa de Yeguare avanza con los elementos de una estrategia acertada del turismo para la región, desarrollando actividades como: el diseño y la producción de material turístico promocional, producción de alimentos, las ferias turísticas agrícolas, promoción de pequeñas industriales calificadas con las estrategias de comercialización, mejora de los servicios turísticos, enseñanza de transacción y planes contables, desarrollo de planes de negocios y mejora de las estructuras físicas que tienen las empresas rurales en el rubro de turismo que están incluidas en el portafolio de actividades de Zamorano/Yeguare. Por varios años, Zamorano ha estado integrando la comisión social y de proyección de sus programas rurales del turismo con sus numerosos proyectos diversos y productivos en el valle de Yeguare. Incluso a residentes de países vecinos se les ha enseñado los fundamentos del turismo rural. A través de la metodología del Aprender-Haciendo con sus estudiantes Zamorano ha acentuado la utilización de los recursos naturales y de las materias primas para afrontar el comercio con el turista y para mejorar la calidad de la vida rural en la región.

The festivals and fairs improve living standards and increase environmental conservation. More than fifty area farmers and craftspersons participated in the first such Agricultural Tourism and Food Fair on July 28, 2007 by exhibiting and selling

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

vironmental conservation. More than fifty area farmers and crafts-persons participated in the first such Agricultural Tourism and Food Fair on July 28, 2007 by exhibiting and selling their products. X more joined them on the second fair, X of December 2007. The objective of the “Yeguare Initiative”, project funded by the Kellogg Foundation, is to implement joint activities that will improve the living standards of local residents while maintaining the quality of the environment and life in general. “Discussions about tourism are confusing at times because some people think that tourism is only beach and sun. Some municipalities can have attractive tourist industries that offer a variety of differing services and products with their existing resources that have a rich history”, explains Carlos Ardón, the Yeguare Initiative Project Coordinator, . Ardón says that through the effort of Zamorano the Yeguare Initiative advances the elements of a successful tourism strategy for the region. Such activities as the design and production of promotional tourist material, food and agricultural tourist fairs, equipping small industrial businesses with marketing strategies, improving tourist services, teaching pricing and accounting systems, developing bu-

siness plans and improving physical structures that house rural tourism businesses are included in Zamorano’s Yeguare portfolio. For several years, Zamorano has been integrating its social commitment and outreach of its rural tourism programs with its many diverse and productive projects in the Yeguare Valley. Even residents of adjacent Central American countries have been taught the basics of rural tourism. Through the Learning-by-Doing approach with its students, Zamorano has emphasized the utilization of the area’s natural resources and raw materials to enhance the tourist trade and improve the quality of rural life in the region.

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www.zamorano.edu

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zamorano´s outreach magazine

la de

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Se ha dicho a menudo que en vez de proveerle a la gente la pesca justa para comer, es mejor enseñarles cómo pescar. O mejor todavía, enséñarles cómo criar los pescados para el consumo casero y para la venta.

l acuiculturista entusiasta y apasionado Dr. Meyer, docente de la Carrera de Ciencia y Producción y Director de Currículo general, es un firme creyente de que la Tilapia es el pescado del siglo XXI. De acuerdo a lo que revelan los patrones de la nueva estadística sobre la producción de la tilapia, Zamorano puede lograr algo. En los años 60 y al principio de los 70 la tilapia era siempre del hombre pobre; de hecho la gente en América Central no incluye tanto pescado en sus dietas como en otros países. Debido a conveniencia y presupuesto los productos de aves de corral son más populares, extendiéndose en precio de $ 0.90 a $ 1.00 por libra. Como la producción de tilapia es en general de breve duración, los granjeros locales pescarían y venderían rápidamente, agotando sus reservas y abandonando el negocio.

Sin embargo, en los años 70 y a mediados de los años 80, el negocio de Tilapia comenzó a ganar ímpetu. Los EE.UU. comenzaron a exigir y a pagar más por lo que consideraban una delicadeza nueva. En 1999, Zamorano y las universidades de EE.UU. comenzaron la actividad cooperativa en un programa de colaboración en la investigación de la acuicultura dinámica, donde podrían generar la información útil en un nivel local y utilizar el conocimiento para promover la producción y la acuicultura de Tilapia en general, como manera de mejorar la renta y las dietas de la gente rural alrededor del mundo. Los EE.UU. están trabajando con los científicos y los estudiantes de los países en desarrollo, para ayudar a las instituciones locales a mejorar sus capacidades de enseñar a los granjeros las técnicas apropiadas para permitir que continúen la producción por ellos mismos. Zamorano ha confiado en la experiencia del Dr. Meyer, en los agentes de extensión y en las organizaciones no gubernamentales, para

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It has often been said that rather than just giving people fish to eat, it is better to teach them how to fish. Or better yet, teach them how to raise fish for home consumption and for sale.

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However, in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, the Tilapia business began to gain momentum as the United States consumers began demanding and paying more for what was considered a new delicacy. In 1999, Zamorano and U.S. universities began cooperative activity in a Pond Dynamics Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program (funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID) where they could generate useful information at a local level and use the knowledge to promote Tilapia production and aquaculture in general as a way to improve the income and diets of rural peoples around the world. The U.S. is working with scientists and students in developing countries to help local institutions improve their capacities to teach farmers the proper production technique to allow them to continue production on their own. Zamorano, reliant on the expertise of Dr. Meyer, uses extension agents and non governmental organizations to reach small farm-

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n enthusiastic and passionate aquaculturist, Dr. Meyer firmly believes t h a t Tilapia is the fish of the twenty-first century. As new consumption statistics in production patterns reveal, the Zamorano aquaculture professional may be on to something. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Tilapia was seen as the poor man’s fish. In fact, people in Central America did not include as much fish in their diets as the other countries. Because of convenience and budget, poultry products have been more popular, ranging in price from $0.90 to $1.00 per pound. Tilapia culture was usually quite short-lived as the local fish farmers would catch the fish and sell them, quickly depleting their stock and pond and eventually abandoning the business all together.

Production

jor precio No sólo los precios altos y elevados motivan a los cultivadores, sino también los beneficios de la dieta y la economía de comunidades locales a lo largo de toda Honduras. ñar a los granjeros las técnicas apropiadas para permitir que continúen la producción por ellos mismos.

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www.zamorano.edu

Es de importancia que la producción sea constantemente renovada y que tenga un buen manteniendo. Los agricultores deben aprender cuándo y como deben fertilizar sus pilas, manteniendo un máximo de producción a largo plazo.

llegar a pequeños acuicultores y entrenarles en la importancia del valor nutritivo de la tilapia y de su de producción. Dr. Meyer, autor de varios manuales de entrenamiento, explica los fundamentos de la producción de la acuicultura para asegurar el éxito de los acuicultores hondureños. Dichos manuales proporcionan instrucciones y cuadros simples de métodos tradicionales y destacan desde el comienzo hasta el final del proceso. Generalmente los granjeros consiguen sus peces de un laboratorio de crianza especializado. En Zamorano, la granja de acuicultura permite que los granjeros interesados compren el alevín listo para ser producido. Acentuando que el cultivo de la Tilapia no es para todos, Dr. Meyer explica que el programa ayuda a los dueños de la pequeña empresa que son independientes, cuentan con un espacio adecuado y tienen la motivación para aumentar su producción. Los hondureños no comen muchos pescados como lo hacen en otros países, en donde la motivación de los granjeros ha sido un desafío. Sin embargo en Honduras el consumo de carne declina fácilmente en el periodo antes de pascua. . Algunos cultivadores han podido obtener buenas ganancias por periodos de un año entero, cosechando pescados durante los dos meses de poco consumo de carne pues venden sus pescados a un me-

Zamorano ha confiado en la experiencia del Dr. Meyer, en los agentes de extensión y en las organizaciones no gubernamentales, para llegar a pequeños acuicultores y entrenarles en la importancia del valor nutritivo de la tilapia y de su de producción. Dr. Meyer, autor de varios manuales de entrenamiento, explica los fundamentos de la producción de la acuicultura para asegurar el éxito de los acuicultores hondureños. Dichos manuales proporcionan instrucciones y cuadros simples de métodos tradicionales y destacan desde el comienzo hasta el final del proceso. Generalmente los granjeros consiguen sus peces de un laboratorio de crianza especializado. En Zamorano, la granja de acuicultura permite que los granjeros interesados compren el alevín listo para ser producido. Acentuando que el cultivo de la Tilapia no es para todos, Dr. Meyer explica que el programa ayuda a los dueños de la pequeña empresa que son independientes, cuentan con un espacio adecuado y tienen la motivación para aumentar su producción. Los hondureños no comen muchos pescados como lo hacen en otros países, en donde la motivación de los granjeros ha sido un desafío. Sin embargo en Honduras el consumo de carne declina fácilmente en el periodo antes de pascua. . Algunos cultivadores han podido obtener buenas ganancias por periodos de un año entero, cosechando pescados durante los dos meses de poco consumo de carne pues venden sus pescados a un mejor precio No sólo los precios altos y elevados motivan a los cultivadores, sino también los beneficios de la dieta y la economía de comunidades locales a lo largo de toda Honduras. Los estudiantes de Zamorano son participantes valiosos en el

programa de la acuicultura. Pueden trabajar fuera de la universidad y satisfacer a algunos de los pequeños agricultores, mientras que investigan el impacto de la acuicultura en muchas familias rurales que han confiado en el cultivo de la tilapia como su única fuente de ingresos. Los estudiantes de Zamorano han aprendido la importancia que tiene la tilapia para estas familias. La ropa nueva, mejores servicios de salud y el transporte mejorado son todos subproductos de una operación acertada de la producción de tilapia. Es de importancia que la producción sea constantemente renovada y que tenga un buen manteniendo. Los agricultores deben aprender cuándo y como deben fertilizar sus pilas, manteniendo un máximo de producción a largo plazo. Dr. Meyer es un firme creyente en la misión Aprender-Haciendo y el hecho de Zamorano tiene funciones como institución de desarrollo. Su motivación principal son los estudiantes y la buena voluntad de aprender y su impulso para desarrollar métodos mejores de prácticas de la producción de la acuicultura. Él ha estado llevando a estudiantes a los ríos alrededor de Zamorano, para pescar especies con excepción de tilapia y así proporcionar la diversificación a través de tipos mejorados de peces para las familias locales en toda la región. La diversificación contribuirá a un método de producción más eficiente. Zamorano provee la oportunidad de compartir su trabajo y el de otros para aumentar la producción de pescado en Honduras. La información falsa sobre la tilapia desempeña un papel enorme en su influencia en el mercado. Dr. Meyer dice que la impresión de que la producción de tilapia no es tan buena en la costa como es en el interior del país, o que la tilapia todavía no está calificada para competir con los pescados de lujo como salmones en los Estados Unidos, es incorrecta. Él dice que las actitudes están cambiando y que la tilapia puede vivir en el agua salada (tilapia rojo) así como en agua dulce. Él agrega que la tilapia es el pescado que cambia los patrones de la demanda del mundo y

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tion is getting better, medium sized farmers are better able to compete, and other countries in Central America are beginning to follow Honduras’ lead in Tilapia production. He also says that in the United States the price of Tilapia on a menu is comparable to the other “fancy fish” of the marketplace. The Pond Dynamics Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program is a learning process aimed at improving the incomes and diets of rural people. Dr. Meyer and the students at Zamorano, with support from USAID and extension agents, are investigating and providing the information necessary to improve the practices of aquaculture by generating efficiency through education. Tilapia is becoming recognized as a delicacy and people are being given more job opportunities. Better production processes are raising the income of small farmers, while the environment is being improved. Once the “poor man’s fish,” Tilapia is now responsible for the beginnings of a new market demand and the further development of aquaculture in Central America. Rather than just providing food to the people of Central America, Zamorano is teaching them how to fish.

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ers to train them on the importance portance of Tilapia to these families. of sustainability of Tilapia and their New clothing, better healthcare serproduction ponds. Dr. Meyer, the vices, and improved transportation author of several training manuals, are all by-products of a successful explains the fundamentals of aqua- Tilapia production operation. It is culture production to assure success essential that ponds are consistentfor Honduran fish farmers. These ly replenished and well cared for. manuals provide simple instructions Farmers must learn how and when and pictures to highlight traditional to fertilize their ponds to maintain methods from start to finish. Usually, maximum production levels and farmers get their fish from a special- sustain the production long term. Dr. Meyer is a firm believer ized breeding laboratory. However, in Zamorano’s Learn-by-Doing misin Honduras, many people are not sion and the fact that Zamorano also able to find these specialized labofunctions as a development instituratories. At Zamorano, the aquacultion. He is motivated by the stuture farm allows interested farmers dents’ willingness to learn and their to buy fingerlings that are ready for drive to develop better methods of grow-out. Emphasizing that Tilapia aquaculture production practices. farming is not for everyone, Meyer He has been taking students to the explains that the program helps the rivers around Zamorano to fish for species other than small business Tilapia to provide Es de importancia owners who are the diversification independent, que la producción through improved have adequate sea constantemente types of fish for lopond space, and cal families. Diverrenovada y que have the motivasification will contion to increase tenga un buen tribute to a more their outputs. Bemanteniendo. Los efficient production cause people in method. Zamorano agricultores deben Honduras don’t eat as much fish aprender cuándo y provides him with the opportunity to as do other places como deben fertilizar share his work and of the world, mothe work of othsus pilas, manteniendo tivating the farmers to increase fish ers has been a un máximo de production in Honchallenge. Howproducción a largo duras. Misinformaever, in Honduras, tion about Tilapia plazo. meat consumption plays a huge role in readily declines its influence in the market. Dr. Meyduring the Lenten period before Easer indicates that the impression that ter. Some fish farmers have been Tilapia production is not as good on able to make enough income for the the coast as it is inland or that Tilapia entire year by harvesting fish during is still not qualified to compete with the two months of Lent, while selling fancy fish like salmon in the United their fish at the best price. Not only do the high prices motivate the farm- States is incorrect. He says that aters, but they also benefit the diet and titudes are changing and that Tilapia the economy of local communities can live in salt water (red Tilapia) as well as fresh water. He adds that Tilathroughout Honduras. Zamorano students are pia is the fish changing the world devaluable participants in the aquacul- mand patterns and is making a proture program. They are able to work found impact on Central America’s off campus and meet some of the economy. Already, the United States small farmers, while researching the is importing $40 million U.S. worth impact of aquaculture on many rural of Honduran Tilapia each year. Dr. families who are reliant on the fish as Meyer says that packing plants are their only source of income. Zamo- providing substantial amounts of lorano students have learned the im- cal jobs throughout Honduras, nutri-

NO PODEMOS HACER CASO OMISO:

* * **

Alrededor del mundo las temperaturas promedio han subido más de un grado; ha sido la época más caliente en las dos últimas décadas del siglo veinte en los últimos 400 años. La nieve del glaciar y de la montaña está derritiéndose y desapareciendo rápidamente. Los arrecifes coralinos están muriendo. Los acontecimientos extremos del tiempo, como incendios naturales, olas de calor, y las tormentas tropicales fuertes están aumentando.

Por encima de todos los impactos del CALENTAMIENTO GLOBAL, el continuo incremento de los precios del petróleo, la escasez del mismo y sus derivados, podrían también limitar seriamente la producción agrícola y el desarrollo rural en América Latina. Es por eso que ZAMORANO establece el CZER:

Centro

de Energía

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RENOV BLE

la revista de proyección de zamorano

Center For

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RE EWABLE Energy

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

El Centro concentrará actividades en la producción y uso de biocombustibles, la adopción y la difusión de toda la tecnología apropiada y el análisis y creación de políticas públicas a través de la educación, capacitación continua, publicaciones científicas, eventos y los medios

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de comunicaciones.

n medio del debate sobre el rumbo evidente del choque del mundo contra la naturaleza, Zamorano ha dado otro paso hacia el desarrollo de una industria alimentaria y agrícola latinoamericana globalmente competitiva; conservando y usando responsablemente los recursos naturales y transformando áreas rurales para reducir la pobreza. A principios de 2007, Zamorano estableció el Centro de Energía Renovable. Su misión es ayudar a disminuir los costos energéticos que se elevan súbitamente en toda América Latina y los efectos del calentamiento global. Dirigido por el Dr. Mario Contreras, el CZER sirve como programa líder de Zamorano para ayudar a combatir los crecientes costos de energía y el fenómeno del calentamiento global. Según Contreras, las tendencias indican que el aumento de la población aumenta, los costos crecientes y la escasez de petróleo y sus derivados continuarán afectando seriamente la producción agrícola y el desarrollo rural. “No podemos hacer caso omiso al hecho que alrededor del mundo, las temperaturas promedio han subido más de un grado, que ha sido la época más caliente en las dos últimas décadas del siglo veinte en los últimos 400 años, que el hielo está desapareciendo rápidamente, que la nieve del glaciar y de la montaña está derritiéndose rápi-

damente, que los arrecifes coralinos están muriendo y los acontecimientos extremos del tiempo, como incendios naturales, olas de calor, y las tormentas tropicales fuertes están aumentando.” Todos estos síntomas son algunos de los indicadores de la actividad humana que señala Contreras, son los que contribuyen al calentamiento del planeta actualmente. Según el Dr. Contreras, la industrialización, la tala de árboles y la contaminación han aumentado grandemente las concentraciones atmosféricas de vapores de agua, dióxido de carbono, metano y óxido nitroso. Todos contribuyen al efecto invernadero de los gases que ayudan a concentrar el calor cerca de la superficie terrestre. De hecho, un informe elaborado por el Panel de Prevención y Control Integrado de la Contaminación y el Cambio Climático (IPPC) advirtió el año pasado que el calentamiento global puede conducir en gran escala a la escasez de alimento y del agua y puede tener un efecto catastrófico en la flora y en la fauna. Según el Dr. Contreras, el principal objetivo del Centro de Energía Renovable es reducir el impacto del calentamiento global y el aumento de los costos energéticos en Latinoamérica, en industrias agrícolas y en la vida rural en general. Según el IPPC no importa cómo sea de incómoda la verdad, varios efectos resultantes del choque del mundo con la naturaleza podrían ocurrir si los mares se eleven entre 7 y 23 pulgadas al final del siglo; glaciares alrededor del mundo derritiéndose; huracanes fuertes, sequías, incendios naturales y otros desastres naturales pueden llegar a ser comunes;

más de un millón de especies podrían enfrentar la extinción y desaparición de hábitat ya que los ecosistemas cambian y los océanos se acidifican. Los sistemas de circulación de los océanos también podrían ser alterados permanentemente causando una mini era del hielo en Europa Occidental, pues el aumento en la población podría servir para exacerbar el fenómeno del calentamiento global. Por encima de todos los impactos del calentamiento global, el continuo incremento de los precios del petróleo, la escasez del mismo y sus derivados, podrían también limitar seriamente la producción agrícola y el desarrollo rural en América Latina. Dr. Contreras y sus compañeros científicos en Zamorano están enfocando, entre las actividades iniciales del Centro de Energía Renovable, en la escasez del petróleo y de sus derivados. A finales del 2007 el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo concedió a Zamorano un contrato de consultoría para estudiar el potencial en la producción de caña de azúcar basada en etanol y el potencial de comercialización para el biocombustible. El proyecto comenzó a

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

The Center for Renewable Energy is headed by Dr. Mario Contreras and serves as Zamorano’s lead program to help combat the increasing costs of energy and the global warming phenomenon. According to Dr. Contreras, trend lines indicate that population increases and rising costs and scarcity of oil and its products will continue to severely impact agricultural production and rural development. “We can no longer ignore the fact that around the world, average temperatures have climbed more than one degree, and that the rate for the last two decades of the twentieth century were

All of these symptoms are indicators of human activity which Dr. Contreras says contributes to the current planetary warming. According to Dr. Contreras, industrialization, deforestation and pollution have greatly increased atmospheric concentrations of water vapors, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. All contribute to greenhouse gases that help trap heat near the Earth’s surface. In fact, last year a report by the International Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) warned that global warming can lead to large scale food and water shortages and have catastrophic effect on wildlife. Dr. Contreras indicates that the main focus of the Center for Renewable Energy is to minimize the impact of global warming and rising energy costs on Latin American countries, agricultural industries and rural life in general. According to the IPPC, no matter how inconvenient the truth, several effects of the world’s collision course with nature could occur as seas rise between seven and 23 inches by the end of the century; glaciers around the world melt; strong hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and other natural disasters may become commonplace;

more than a million species may face extinction and disappearing habitats as ecosystems change and oceans acidify. The oceans’ circulation systems could also be permanently altered causing a mini-Ice Age in Western Europe as increasing population levels could serve to exacerbate the warming phenomenon. On top of all the global warming impacts, the specter of continued skyrocketing oil prices and a shortage of oil and oil products could also severely limit agricultural production and rural development in Latin America. Dr. Contreras and his fellow scientists at Zamorano are focusing some of the initial activity of the Center for Renewable Energy on the scarcity of oil and its products. In late 2007, the International Development Bank awarded Zamorano a consultancy contract to study the potential for the production of ethanol based on sugarcane and the marketing potential for this biofuel. The project began in early 2008. Its results will be presented at a high level conference designed to inform public and private sectors of the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) countries about the potential for producing meaningful levels of biofuel from sugarcane. The goal is to support the governments and private sectors of the constituent countries in making decisions in the area of production, distribution, and utilization of biofuel and promoting alliances between the private sector and national governments that will result in the development of commercial etha-

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In early 2007, Zamorano established the Center for Renewable Energy. Its mission is to help mitigate skyrocketing energy costs throughout Latin America and the effects of global warming.

the hottest in 400 years or that the ice is rapidly disappearing, glacier and mountain snows are rapidly melting, coral reefs are dying off, and extreme weather events such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms are on the upswing,” says Dr. Contreras.

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mid debate over an apparent world collision course with nat u r e , Zamorano has taken another step toward developing a globally competitive Latin American food and agricultural industry; conserving and responsibly using natural resources and transforming rural areas to reduce poverty.

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

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principios del 2008 y sus resultados serán presentados en una conferencia de alto nivel diseñada para informar a los sectores públicos y privados de los países involucrados en el tratado de libre comercio entre Centro América/ Republica Dominicana y los Estados Unidos (“DR-CAFTA”) sobre el potencial para producir niveles significativos de biocombustible provenientes de la caña de azúcar. La meta es apoyar a los gobiernos y los sectores privados de sus países que lo constituyen para tomar decisiones en el área de la producción, distribución y utilización del biocombustible, y promover alianzas entre el sector privado y los gobiernos nacionales que darán lugar al desarrollo del biocombustible de etanol comercial derivado de la caña de azúcar. Según el Dr. Contreras, el panorama preocupante con respecto a los cambios climáticos y al aumento aparentemente imparable del precio del petróleo estimulan el interés significativo en fuentes de energía renovable. Afirma que existen oportunidades significativas en naciones y empresas para satisfacer una demanda enorme de biocombustibles basados en la caña de azúcar. El esfuerzo de Brasil es un ejemplo principal de una fuerte in-

dustria de caña de azúcar-basada en el etanol que estimula el interés de muchos países en desarrollo. La palma de aceite africana también representa una fuente importante de combustible. Otras especies que generan un interés cada vez mayor son Jatropha, que es originaria de América tropical, y la higuerilla. Sin embargo, el Dr. Contreras agrega que la preocupación sobre los impactos como ser la reducción de producción de alimento, el incremento en el uso del agua y otras consecuencias para el medio ambiente en selvas tropicales son temas importantes que afectan el desarrollo de fuentes de energía alternativa como la palma de aceite. Dr. Contreras explica que la producción y la demanda para los biocombustibles en los Estados Unidos y en otras partes del mundo están creciendo rápidamente. La capacidad actual de la producción del etanol de maíz en los Estados Unidos ha alcanzado casi siete billones de galones al año, representando solamente cinco por ciento de la demanda para la gasolina en el país (140 billones de galones). Mientras que la demanda continúa incrementándose, las estimaciones optimistas ponen el potencial de aumentar la producción del etanol del

El principal objetivo del Centro de Energía Renovable es reducir el impacto del calentamiento global y el aumento de los costos energéticos en Latinoamérica, en industrias agrícolas y en la vida rural en general. maíz entre 16 y 18 billones de galones antes de que la conversión del maíz al etanol comience a afectar otros usos importantes del grano. Sin embargo, el Dr. Contreras dice que los impactos son ya fácilmente evidentes, pues los precios del alimento animal han aumentado como resultado de precios más altos del maíz en los mercados internacionales. Está claro, dice, que grandes fuentes adicionales de etanol serán necesarias. Al establecer el Centro de Energía Renovable, Zamorano ha desarrollado un programa diverso para crear nuevas oportunidades de ingresos y mejorar las condiciones de vida rural en América Latina, ayudando a reducir la dependencia en los combustibles fósiles y los efectos del calen-

tamiento global. El Centro concentrará actividades en la producción y uso de biocombustibles, la adopción y la difusión de toda la tecnología apropiada y el análisis y creación de políticas públicas a través de la educación, capacitación continua, publicaciones científicas, eventos y los medios de comunicaciones. El análisis de los impactos económicos sociales y ambientales en el desarrollo de biocombustible, serán parte de la actividad del programa. Según el Dr. Contreras, Zamorano centrará sus esfuerzos en el desarrollo de modelos de agronegocios que apoyen a las micro, pequeña y mediana empresas para la generación de distribuciones y usos alternativos de energía. Dr. Contreras dice que el objetivo del Centro se traduce en las siguientes áreas de acción para energía renovable: biocombustibles; planes de estudios formales; desarrollo y capacitación de profesionales en energía renovable; investigación aplicada de plantas y animales para la generación de biocombustibles; adopción de las tecnologías apropiadas y apoyo gubernamental en el desarrollo de políticas que promuevan fuentes renovables y alternativas de energía.

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

reached nearly seven billion gallons a year, representing only five percent of the demand for gasoline in the country (140 billion gallons). While the demand continues to escalate, optimistic estimates place the potential to increase corn ethanol production to between 16 and 18 billion gallons before the conversion of corn to ethanol begins to affect other important uses of the grain. However, Dr. Contreras says that impacts are already readily apparent as prices of animal feeds have already increased as a result of higher corn prices in the international

markets. According to Dr. Contreras, it is clear that large additional sources of ethanol will be needed. In establishing the Center for Renewable Energy, Zamorano has developed a cross-cutting program to create new opportunities of income and the improvement of rural life in Latin America while helping to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and the effects of global warming. The Center will concentrate activity on the production and use of biofuels, the adoption and dissemination of all appropriate technology and the analysis and formation of public policy through education, continuous training, scientific publications, events and the communications media. The analysis of economic, social and environmental impacts of biofuel development will be a part of the Center’s program activity. According to Dr. Contreras, Zamorano will focus its efforts on developing agribusiness models in support of entrepreneurial enterprises in micro, small and medium companies for generation of alternative distributions and uses of energy. Dr. Contreras states that the Center’s objective translates to action areas for renewable energy which include the following: biocombustibles;

formal education curricula; the development and training of professionals in the area of renewable energy; applied investigation of plants and animals for the generation of biocombustibles; the adoption of all appropriate technologies and assisting governments in developing policy to promote renewable and alternative sources of energy. “However the inconvenient the truth may be, Zamorano must assume leadership in helping provide the capacity for Latin America to develop food for as many as 10 billion (???) Latin American residents through globally competitive agricultural and food industries, the conservation and responsible use of natural resources and the reduction of rural poverty,” Dr. Contreras emphasizes.

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nol biofuel derived from sugarcane. As noted by Dr. Contreras, the worrisome scenarios of climate change and the seemingly unstoppable rise in the price of petroleum stimulates the significant interest in sources of renewable energy. Dr. Contreras says that significant opportunities exist in nations and business to satisfy an enormous demand for biofuels based on sugarcane. Brazil’s effort is a leading example of a strong sugarcane-based ethanol industry that stimulates the interest of many developing nations. The African oil palm also represents an important source of fuel. Other species generating a growing interest are Jatropha, which is indigenous to tropical America, and the castor bean. However, Dr. Contreras adds that concerns over impacts such as reduced food production, increased water consumption, displacement of labor and other environmental impacts on rain forests are major issues affecting the development of alternative energy sources such as the oil palm. Dr. Contreras explains that the production and demand for biofuels in the United States and throughout other parts of the world is growing rapidly. The current production capacity of corn ethanol in the U.S. has

The north coast of Honduras has been known as a tropical paradise with white, sandy beaches, majestic blue ocean waters, and emerald green palm trees. Lately, things have changed. Much of the coast is barren, hard, and dull, with the erect and leafless palm tree trunks scattered along the eroding shoreline. The tourist industry, the garifuna way of life, the biodiversity are in serious jepordy...

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Amaril amiento

Yel owing

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ust like his father and his grandfather before him, when Garifuna tribe member Abraham Norales was born he was given a coconut seed to plant in the ground outside his farmhouse in Limon, Honduras. Every year Abraham and his palm tree would celebrate the same birthday, and every year the tree would grow bigger and stronger. The tree became his plant-form of a constant companion. The same coconut planting tradition is customary to almost all of the Garifuna people on the north coast of Honduras. In fact, the Afro-Caribbean tribe proudly uses the phrase, “Coco es el arbol de la vida,” or “The coconut is the tree of life.” Five years ago, the coconut was seen in not only the daily activities of the Garifunas, but also a symbol of a stable economy. Used as sails for small fishing, recreational racing and transportation boats, the coconut palm leaves also facilitated unique events, including high school sailing competitions. The trunks were used as drums for dancing, and the coconuts contributed to religious practices, including sacrificial offerings for their gods as well as traditional costumes. At a young age, the Gaifuna children were taught the importance of the coconuts in the home, and almost every food item or dish contained some form of raw coconut or coconut oils in its preparation. People could also buy a coconut for around one Honduran “lempira” (national currency equivalent to approximately 5 U.S. cents) and they were exported consistently on a relatively competitive basis. With a concerned look and a bowed head, Abraham explains that now, the Garifuna way of life is changing. The coconuts are becoming scarce; the people are scared. It now costs about 10 lempiras for a coconut and the coconut market has been transformed from export to import. Tragically, the palms planted for Abraham and his family, have all died. The family experienced a very sad feeling when they lost the palm of Abraham’s grandfather, which had been a way to remember him. Immigration to other countries has become prevalent throughout the community because there are more work opportunities elsewhere. Groups of women, such as the “Yuca Cutio Manijot Discolenta”, can no longer rely on coconuts to make bread, oil, and other household products. They have had to find substitute ingredients which has changed the style and quality of traditional dishes. Abraham worries that the coconut stories he heard from his grandfather as a child will be lost as the coconuts are forgotten.

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The physical characteristics of the land are another casualty of the dwindling coconuts. The north coast of Honduras has been known as a tropical paradise with white, sandy beaches, majestic blue ocean waters, and emerald green palm trees. However, now much of the coast of the Honduran Bay Islands are barren, hard, and dull with the erect and leafless palm tree trunks scattered along eroding shoreline. Vegetation has replaced the palms and those palms that are still standing exhibit leaves that are turning a bright, abnormal shade of yellow. The palms as a whole contain the same colors of a quickly ripening cluster of bananas. As a result, the tourism industry in these areas is quickly declining. The cause of such devastation in Honduras, along with much of the Eastern Caribbean, is a palm tree disease known as “lethal yellowing”. Lethal yellowing was first discovered on the island of Jamaica in the 1800s and since then has become endemic in many Caribbean nations. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the disease threatened to exterminate Jamaica’s coconut palm industry completely while it also spread to the United States (Florida) and Mexico. Most recently, lethal yellowing has been detected in Belize and Guatemala. In Honduras, lethal yellowing was originally detected on the island of Roatan in 1995 and soon thereafter appeared on the mainland. Hurricane Mitch in 1998 helped to rapidly spread the disease and it is estimated that it has wiped out as much as 95% of the Atlantic tall variety of coconut trees widely distributed on the northern coast of Honduras. Lethal yellowing, or the “dengue of the palm trees” as it is called, is caused by a bacteria-like microorganism called a phytoplasma that is injected into the trunk of the tree by an insect. The disease is transmitted by the Myndus Crudus, a small plant hopper insect the size of a pin head. The symptoms of lethal yellowing include a premature falling of fruit, a blackening of the tree’s flowers, and yellowing of the leaves. It takes some

five to eight months for the palm tree to die after the disease is injected by the insect. After it dies, only a hard, erect trunk remains in the place of the once leafy palm. A December 2007 graduate of Zamorano, the 21-year-old Abraham has made it his mission to educate his community on lethal yellowing. One of the biggest problems of the Garifuna people is that they do not understand the disease. Some speculate that the palms are dying due to an enraged god or other countries trying to sabotage the coconuts in order to build massive developments on Honduran coasts. Abraham stresses that without a proper understanding of the issues, his people will give up and leave their communities without fighting for their traditional way of life. He therefore spreads his knowledge by talking to anyone in the community that will listen. He also talks to younger students in order to influence their maturing minds to make intelligent decisions for future coconut development. Abraham explains the disease and the importance of finding a solution to the disappearing coconuts. He is thankful for Zamorano because it is there that he learns from leading professionals and is able to test his ideas in hopes of one day finding a cure for lethal yellowing. In the meantime, he feels great satisfaction making the Garifuna people aware of the problem until a permanent solution can be found. Zamorano is giving him the ability to try and help the Garafunas and he admits that his education on the subject gives him no other choice. “I am one of the only of my people who know the reality of the disease. It is my duty to help the community where I grew up and will go back after I finish school, especially because I have the resources at Zamorano to try to help them,” Abraham explained. Dr. Mercedes Roca is an associate professor for biotechnology and plant protection at Zamorano University. Dr. Roca personifies an educator chomping at the bit to make a difference in science and the lives of other people. Dr. Roca

exhibits pure excitement when explaining the efforts she and the students are making in applied biotechnology in combating lethal yellowing. In her organized and beaker-filled laboratory, her explanation for lethal yellowing is clear enough for anyone to understand and is accompanied with step-by-step visualization chart with detailed photos. Dr. Roca also finds time in her pressing schedule to travel to all of the places affected by lethal yellowing as part of her outreach program and she takes students to the communities as well as they jointly conduct research and provide educational information to the local people. Measures have been taken to control the disease. Unfortunately, none have lasted a significant length of time. Varieties of coconut palm less susceptible to lethal yellowing have been planted but after a few years begin suffering from the disease. In Zamorano, the applied biotechnology laboratory, which is one of the few of its kind in Central America, serves as a center to perform molecular (DNA) testing for pathogens and develop methods used to manage lethal yellowing. At some large resorts and in some residential areas, coconut palms have been injected with antibiotics (which can kill the bacteria affecting the trees) into their trunks each year. However, injection is expensive to sustain and is not a realistic solution to the vast majority of communities with infected palm trees. Still, despite considerable research activity, no cure has been discovered for lethal yellowing. Dr. Roca emphasizes that the small progress they have made is very valuable to finding a long- term solution to lethal yellowing, which, in the future, will involve a genetic engineering approach. “Zamorano students, once they leave Zamorano, are getting their doctoral degrees and are becoming educated. There has been a significant increase in scientists and professionals in the world involved in the lethal yellowing disease. Research

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l Salvador could be considered a tropical paradise complete with intriguing scenery and beauty. Lush greenery encompasses endless stretches of hillsides and mountains; vast volcanoes proudly lord over the countryside; endless fields of farmland stretch amid vegetation and homes and underscore the value of agriculture to the survival of many people. On a humid, sunny summer day, a few miles out of the town of Antiquizaya, a group of 27 local citizens dependent upon agriculture sit on a wooden patio of a neglected building that has been transformed into a small learning center. Their chairs are facing the wall doubling as a screen as they view a slide presentation and listen to a lecture on integrated pest management(IPM). Nearby, a house that has partially collapsed and leaning as a result of earthquakes is still inhabited and exhibiting minor traces of restoration. On the other side of the leaning building, a dirt road runs parallel to stretches of vast farmland. Children are playing barefoot in the dirt while stray, defeated-looking dogs congregate to sniff the food. A woman with a worried look on her face listens very intently to the lecture and raises her hand to ask a question about pesticide application methods. Ernestina Cepeda Cordoba is in her mid-forties and does not complain about her life

no matter how bad things are. She attends the agricultural workshops in place of her husband who is bedridden because of serious heart problems. She has a son who is 17; another son,15, is a paraplegic. Ernestinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home was severely damaged in December 2006 as a consequence of the earthquake. She is facing astronomical medical expenses, living in a severely damaged home and has no choice but to assume another responsibility of providing her family with a reliable source of income. Ironically, she has many reasons to be optimistic when it comes to finances. With the help of a project known as PROMIPAC, the Central America Integrated Pest Management Program, she has been able to find the help she needs to be confident in managing her small business and learning ways to earn sustainable profits. PROMIPAC is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Zamorano. PROMIPAC provides people such as Ernestina in Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador ways to improve their living standards through integrated pest management programs. Working with extension agents, teachers, researchers, trainers, students, and technicians, PROMIPAC has reached at least 50,000 people engaged in the production, processing,

ture” in Central America and the Andean region, promoting the transformation of rural populations into sectors that are sustainable and globally competitive.

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Zamorano strives to lead the development of a “New Agricul-

methods. Ernestina Cepeda Cordoba is in her mid-forties and does not complain about her life no matter how bad things are. She attends the agricultural workshops in place of her husband who is bedridden because of serious heart problems. She has a son who is 17; another son,15, is a paraplegic. Ernestina’s home was severely damaged in December 2006 as a consequence of the earthquake. She is facing astronomical medical expenses, living in a severely damaged home and has no choice but to assume another responsibility of providing her family with a reliable source of income. Ironically, she has many reasons to be optimistic when it comes to finances. With the help of a project known as PROMIPAC, the Central America Integrated Pest Management Program, she has been able to find the help she needs to be confident in managing her small business and learning ways to earn sustainable profits. PROMIPAC is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Zamorano. PROMIPAC provides people such as Ernestina in Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador ways to improve their living standards through integrated pest management programs. Working with extension agents, teachers, researchers, trainers, students, and technicians, PROMIPAC has reached at least 50,000 people engaged in the production, processing,

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and marketing of domestic and export crops. More than 80 non-governmental organizations are partners of PROMIPAC and, in collaboration with Zamorano have developed and are utilizing methodologies and materials for the training of producers, students and technicians. Zamorano has pioneered such topics as classical biological control, molecular diagnostic techniques, organic agriculture, biopesticides, biofertilization, pesticide safety, and good agricultural practices. Dr. Alfredo Rueda is the PROMIPAC Regional Coordinator and also a faculty member at Zamorano. Dr. Rueda is responsible for budget allocation and control, preparing technical and financial reports, and maintaining communications with donors and strategic alliances. He is also a speaker at regional and international meetings. A professor of entomology and IPM, Rueda uses his expertise and enthusiasm to help create manuals and other resources to provide pest management methodologies for extension agents and small farmers. Zamorano is the oldest and most experienced institution in the region working in the area of pest management. It serves as a lead institution in Central America for the Swiss government. Through Zamorano, PROMIPAC creates an abundance of knowledge and interest that provides an effective and beneficial learning experience in agribusiness management as well as pest management. PROMIPAC involves experimentation in hands-on trial and error work. It is a good illustration of Zamorano University’s learnby-doing system. PROMIPAC motivates and trains Zamorano students who will teach agricultural pest management practices to their families and their communities after they graduate. Zamorano is providing assistance with the technical aspects of the pest control process through facilities such

also helps illiterate farmers who have to rely solely on field experiences and living samples to understand pest management concepts and practices. Different areas of pest management such as soil analysis, managing white flies and viruses, the use of harvesting rainwater for efficient crop irrigation, marketing, improved varieties, and other aspects of improved crop production are also included in the presentation objectives. Extension is only one of the PROMIPAC tools. Others also focus on pest management: education, research (investigation), and monitoring and evaluation. PROMIPAC also provides expertise on management experience and gender policy. Orlando Caceres, the National Coordinator of PROMIPAC in El Salvador, enthusiastically emphasizes the importance of the project and expresses his pride in its success and the rewarding feeling he experiences when visiting farmers, especially those such as Ernestina, who are illiterate. Education and research, headed by area coordinator Jose Luis Majen, is essential for making the accurate decisions in crop production. Students from national universities and agricultural high schools are also part of the program. While the project guides the farmers, ultimately the farmers themselves are involved through handson experience as the main tool for learning and improving agricultural practices. Monitoring and evaluation are other important strategic tools. PROMIPAC’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator Gloria Mejia performs her work visually with simple charts and pictures used at farm sites. In making the charts, Mejia has members of a family draw a picture of their farm as if they were looking at it from the air. They also draw a picture of their family, labeling what

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lead institution in Central America for the Swiss government. Through Zamorano, PROMIPAC creates an abundance of knowledge and interest that provides an effective and beneficial learning experience in agribusiness management as well as pest management. PROMIPAC involves experimentation in hands-on trial and error work. It is a good illustration of Zamorano University’s learnby-doing system. PROMIPAC motivates and trains Zamorano students who will teach agricultural pest management practices to their families and their communities after they graduate. Zamorano is providing assistance with the technical aspects of the pest control process through facilities such as its biological control laboratory not found anywhere else in Central America. Zamorano has become the “go to” institution providing pest identification and management information, making it an important resource in achieving PROMIPAC’s goals to increase the sustainability and profitability of rural agricultural businesses throughout Central America. PROMIPAC principally concentrates on small-scale farmers and provides necessary guidance to them for better pest management practices. In PROMIPAC training programs, groups of approximately two dozen farmers meet once a week with a facilitator who demonstrates the correct methods to the farmers for pest identification and pest management. Techniques are easy for people to understand; most of the farmers involved do not have higher than a secondary education. Most of the once-a-week program includes hands-on training to farmers in the field. Jesus Antonio Costanza, the extension coordinator for PROMIPAC in El Salvador, shares his experience with farmers and includes discussion periods as a tool for brainstorming ideas. Jesus

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each family member contributes to the farming process. They are then asked to draw the kinds of insects they see and the pesticides they use. All the information is then evaluated and analyzed to describe the proper approach for most effective pest control methods. Farmers are empowered to conduct self-evaluations and their own soil analysis. Implementing beneficial practices provides many positive contributions to the family, environment and economy, and provides information and education to local communities on improved pest management practices. Major impacts most directly include more income for local families. In Ernestina’s case, she is able to restore her home, pay her family’s medical expenses and send her children to school. “I receive important information on how to control the pests and I am thankful that I do not have to worry about waking up and having all my crops dead; the farmland is all my family has for money,” says Ernestina. She is quick to point out that as a woman she could potentially lose her husband and the ability to take care of her crops, which is absolutely essential in maintaining an

income to care for her family. PROMIPAC also works to steer small farmers away from the more traditional farming methods. It teaches the importance of having a variety of crops, proper soil analysis, reduced pesticide use, the use of lower toxicity pesticides, and improved marketing skills. Another member of Ernestina’s group in Antiquizaya, is Marlene Aguilar de Castro. Marlene says she benefits from PROMIPAC because she was able to get money for her children to go to school, fix her earthquake-ravaged house, and diversify her crops. She started producing papayas, for example, which generated increased income for her family. To be able successfully compete, the farmers must utilize improved production methods, incur fewer costs, and practice better marketing. The farmers are trained to seek out production information, including times and how much of pest control products they need and then to relay that information back to their communities. They quickly discover the export problems associated with pesticide treated crops where consumers are more likely to buy products produced with fewer or no chemicals. Thus, an organic production movement has also surfaced, allowing farmers to experiment with best management practices for both the organic and non- organically produced crops. Another PROMIPAC success story is that of Amadeo Oliva from Metapan near the border with Guatamala. On a blisteringly hot afternoon in a small rowboat, which is the only way to get to his farm, Oliva explains his new ideas to protect his crops. A man in his fifties, he is proudly wearing a PROMIPAC hat. After his PROMIPAC review session he recites a thorough description of the management of his crops. Oliva teaches his children the right way to manage crops by giving them small plots with tomatoes for which to care. With the help of his wife and his three boys, he also grows cucumbers, corn, radish, sugarcane, tomatoes, peppers, and small patches of crops such as coffee. PROMIPAC has transformed Oliva from a small, uneducated farmer to the position of community leader. Some of his techniques include applying pesticides for one type of crop but not for another. The untreated crop acts as trap for the insects such as white fly. He also constructs planted walls of sorghum around his crops. Sorghum acts as a barrier that prevents

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Zamorano uses extension agents and non governmental organizations to reach small farmers to train them on the importance of sustainability of Tilapia and their production ponds.

ne says she benefits from PROMIPAC because she was able to get money for her children to go to school, fix her earthquake-ravaged house, and diversify her crops. She started producing papayas, for example, which generated increased income for her family. To be able successfully compete, the farmers must utilize improved production methods, incur fewer costs, and practice better marketing. The farmers are trained to seek out production information, including times and how much of pest control products they need and then to relay that information back to their communities. They quickly discover the export problems associated with pesticide treated crops where consumers are more likely to buy products produced with fewer or no chemicals. Thus, an organic production movement has also surfaced, allowing farmers to experiment with best management practices for both the organic and non- organically produced crops. Another PROMIPAC success story is that of Amadeo Oliva from Metapan near the border with Guatamala. On a blisteringly hot afternoon in a small rowboat, which is the only way to get to his farm, Oliva explains his new ideas to protect his crops. A man in his fifties, he is proudly wearing a PROMIPAC hat. After his PROMIPAC review session he recites a thorough description of the management of his crops. Oliva teaches his children the right way to manage crops by giving them small plots with tomatoes for which to care. With the help of his wife and his three boys, he also grows cucumbers, corn, radish, sugarcane, tomatoes, peppers, and small patches of crops such as coffee. PROMIPAC has transformed Oliva from a small, uneducated farmer to the position of community leader. Some of his techniques include applying pesticides for one type of crop but not for another. The untreated crop acts as trap for the insects such as white fly. He also constructs planted walls of sorghum around his crops. Sorghum acts as a barrier that prevents insects from infecting his crop. Pesticides consisting of laundry detergent, flour, and salt are also used on the crops for protection through nontoxic chemical applications. Oliva also acts as an unpaid extension agent for his neighbors, teaching them pest management techniques and the correct amounts of pesticide to use for each crop. He expanded his farm, using some of the money

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32 ¡Soluciones!´08

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PRÓXiMAMENTE…

33 ¡Soluciones!´08

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COMING IN 2009...

Próximamente…

N Zamorano strives to lead the development of a “New Agriculture” in Central America and the Andean region, promoting the transformation of rural populations into sectors that are sustainable and globally competitive.

ur 2009 issue of ¡Soluciones! will highlight how decades of Zamorano-led applied research and field experience in biodiversity conservation, biotechnology, and agricultural production and agro-industry are enabling the University to assume a major role in the sustainable development of Central America.

Biodiversity

Zamorano’s long-standing involvement in biodiversity-related research and education contributes to agricultural competitiveness and sustainable development. The University’s laboratory facilities and plant and insect collections are among the most complete in Latin America. Its science is highly respected and increasingly applied to the economic betterment of the region. The commitment to biodiversity conservation is further manifest through the recent designation of Zamorano as the home of the Regional Biodiversity Institute, which has been established under the banner of the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD). Zamorano’s commitment to biodiversity includes environmentally sound, productive activities that lead to increased income; obtaining and making available state of the art technology related to biodiversity; and incorporating biodiversity management into community development projects.

34 ¡Soluciones!´08

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Biotechnology Agricultural biotechnology offers significant sustainable opportunities for developing countries to both feed increasing populations and to improve agro-industrial competitiveness. To take advantage of these opportunities many Latin American sectors must overcome a weak information base, scarce skilled human resources, and limited access to technology. Zamorano has a solid track record of applied research and training and in recent years has significantly developed its laboratory and field capabilities in applied biotechnolo-

gy in bio-fertilization, biological control to manage pests, biodiversity, propagation of plant species through tissue culture, and the use of molecular methods for diagnosing plant and animal diseases and food pathogens. The University has demonstrated the capacity to conduct high-quality training and extension programs on a regional scale, and is involved in innovative science programs and development of new curricula.

Produciton & Agro-industry The U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) programs in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua provide development assistance to countries that “rule justly, invest in their people and encourage economic freedom”. These programs focus largely on reducing poverty and spurring economic growth by increasing agricultural productivity and improving transportation links between producers and markets. Zamorano’s own institutional mission and vision dovetail with the MCC principles of economic growth through investments in agriculture, education, private sector development, and capacity building. The mission and vision reward performance, emphasize institutional partnering, and focus on results. Zamorano currently conducts and supports agricultural production and value-added processing projects in all three countries, benefiting more than 15,000 farm families. The 2009 ¡Soluciones! will showcase these projects and their participating small-scale agricultural commodity producers and processors.

MARTIN SCHWARZ

Oficial de Convenios y Contratos

Coming in 2009...

des of Zamorano-led applied research and field experience in biodiversity conservation, biotechnology, and agricultural production and agro-industry are enabling the University to assume a major role in the sustainable development of Central America.

Biodiversity

Production & Agro-industry The U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) programs in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua provide development assistance to countries that “rule justly, invest in their people and encourage economic freedom”. These programs focus largely on reducing poverty and spurring economic growth by increasing agricultural productivity and improving transportation links between producers and markets. Zamorano’s own institutional mission and vision dovetail with the MCC principles of economic growth through investments in agriculture, education, private sector development, and capacity building. The mission and vision reward performance, emphasize institutional partnering, and focus on results. Zamorano currently conducts and supports agricultural production and value-added processing projects in all three countries, benefiting more than 15,000 farm families. The 2009 ¡Soluciones! will showcase these projects and their participating small-scale agricultural commodity producers and processors.

MARTIN SCHWARZ

Oficial de Convenios y Contratos

www.zamorano.edu

nes! will highlight how deca-

recent years has significantly developed its laboratory and field capabilities in applied biotechnology in bio-fertilization, biological control to manage pests, biodiversity, propagation of plant species through tissue culture, and the use of molecular methods for diagnosing plant and animal diseases and food pathogens. The University has demonstrated the capacity to conduct high-quality training and extension programs on a regional scale, and is involved in innovative science programs and development of new curricula.

35 ¡Soluciones!´08

ur 2009 issue of ¡Solucio-

la revista de proyección de zamorano

zamorano´s outreach magazine

Sin fines de lucro

Zamorano es una institución sin fines de lucro, registrada en el Estado de Delaware de los Estados Unidos de América. Es reconocida por la Oficina de Impuestos sobre la Renta de ese país, como una organización (501)-(c)-(3). En muchos países de América Latina existen beneficios fiscales para personas, empresas y organizaciones que brindan apoyo a Zamorano.

Non Profit

Zamorano is a non-profit institution registered in the State of Delaware, United States of America. It is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a (501)(c)-(3) organization. In many Latin American countries, there are tax benefits for people, companies and organizations providing support for Zamorano.