Partners

Instituto Nacional de Innovación y Transferencia en Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Quisqueya University

Crops

Common bean, sorghum and sweet potato

Location

Costa Rica and Haiti

Costa Rica

Instituto Nacional de Innovación y Transferencia en Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA)

Haiti

Quisqueya University

A regional hub for plant cultivar development and breeding innovation in Central America and the Caribbean.

The CACCIA Center of Innovation is building a more resilient, equitable and food secure future for Central America and Caribbean by advancing regional capacity for breeding innovations. CACCIA, whose acronym refers to acting in unison, builds bridges between dichotomies in crop improvement: agricultural science vs. international development; social vs. biophysical research; plant breeders’ priorities vs. farmers’ preferences; men’s vs. women’s needs.

The coordinated partnership led by two institutions, the Instituto Nacional de Innovación y Transferencia en Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) in Costa Rica and Quisqueya University in Haiti, focuses on common bean, sorghum and sweet potato due to their regional importance to smallholder farmers. The program is committed to elevating the voices of more diverse stakeholders in cultivar development and dissemination processes. CACCIA tests and generates new, cutting-edge tools, technologies and methods that can stand up to common challenges of drought and heat stress. The Center of Innovation tests yield stability and broad adaptation and work towards a release of superior crop varieties for Central America and the Caribbean, selectively implementing methods such as recurrent multi-location phenotypic rapid cycling, physiological breeding on key traits, and genomic prediction for yield stability.

Video spotlight: Costa Rica

Video spotlight: Haiti

Through CACCIA we will potentiate our efforts to develop more resilient, productive and nutritious plant varieties for small farmers in Central America and the Caribbean.

José R. CamachoExecutive Director, INTA
Jose R Camacho

Haiti has some of the lowest average grains, roots and tuber yields in the world; we are tremendously excited to develop with ILCI the tools, technologies and methods that will allow Haiti to increase its agriculture productivity.

Gael PressoirPrincipal Scientist and Dean, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Adjunct Vice Rector for Research, Quisqueya University

Photos from the field

Recent highlights

AnnouncementsCACCIA
May 14, 2024

Collaboration across borders: experts from Central America and the Caribbean explore regional crop improvement network

Since its launch in 2021, the Central American and Caribbean Crop Improvement Alliance (CACCIA) has spurred crucial advancements in breeding crops resilient to the challenges posed by climate change in…
Group photoAnnouncementsCACCIA
October 13, 2023

Bean and sorghum research in Costa Rica supports farmers, fights hunger

Climate change is negatively impacting people and ecosystems across the globe, but some of its harshest effects are being felt in Central America and the Caribbean. High temperatures, more frequent…
Researchers by a fieldAnnouncementsCACCIA
September 25, 2023

Transforming food security: CACCIA’s mission to improve crop varieties in Costa Rica, Haiti and beyond

The Central American and Caribbean Crop Improvement Alliance (CACCIA) has a bold vision: to build a more resilient, equitable and food-secure future for the more than 220 million people living…

Project leaders

Jose R Camacho

Dr. José Roberto Camacho

Principal Investigator, Costa Rica; Executive Director & Plant Breeder, INTA

Dr. Gael Pressoir

Principal Scientist, Haiti

Project team

INTA, Costa Rica

  • Dr. Nevio A. Bonilla: Plant Breeder
  • Dr. William Sánchez: Forage Agronomist
  • M.Sc. Ruth Castro: Molecular Biologist
  • B.Sc. Juan C. Hernández: Legume Breeder
  • M.Sc. Luis A. Sánchez: Agricultural Economist

Quisqueya University, Haiti

  • Thierry Tovignan, PhD: plant physiologist
  • Bénédique Paul, PhD: agricultural economist
  • Evens Joseph, MSc: bean breeder
  • Marie Darline Dorval, MSc: sweet potato breeder
  • Jean Rigaud Charles, MSc: cereal breeder
  • Violette Jean-Marie Guerrier, MSc: Food Technologist
  • Jemay Salomon, BSc Agronomy

UCR, Costa Rica

  • Dr. Néstor Chaves: Legume Breeder
  • Dr. Marcela Dumani, Nutritionist

USDA/ARS, Columbia, MO

  • Dr. Kristin Bilyeu: Molecular Biologist

University of Missouri

  • Dr. Jere L. Gilles: Social Scientist
  • Dr. Corinne Valdivia: Social Scientist

Project partners

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