CATIE and PROMECAFE Launch a New Degree-Granting Program

in Sustainable and Innovative Coffee Farming

Written by Dannia Solis, Edited by Katie Modic

Turrialba, Costa Rica. This October, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) opened enrolment for its new International Master's program in Sustainable and Resilient Coffee Farming alongside a micro-credentialing program offering a Technical Diploma in Innovative Coffee Farming. CATIE is providing these two new opportunities in collaboration with the Regional Cooperative Program for Technological Development and Modernization of Coffee Farming (PROMECAFE). 

The significant challenges posed by the ongoing impacts of climate change, degradation of coffee agro-ecosystems, and general uncertainties caused by policies and markets, jeopardize the enormous environmental, social, and economic potential of coffee production. This new academic offering is crucial for comprehensive training of professionals with robust capabilities to contribute to the transformation of coffee farming towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy. 

Since 1978, PROMECAFE has been working to develop the technology used by the industry to improve coffee farming in Mesoamerica. They are primarily interested in addressing challenges associated with pests and diseases, such as coffee rust and coffee berry disease.

“The academic offering presented by CATIE and PROMECAFE aims to prioritize the advancement of coffee-producing families towards sustainability, starting with the economic dimension. This, in turn, enables the social and environmental dimensions to ignite, so that all stakeholders fully understand their role in the chain and the potential for adding value to the final product," emphasized René León Gómez, executive of PROMECAFE.  

Meanwhile, CATIE's Graduate School, which has been training leaders in sustainable agricultural development in the tropics for over 70 years, brings a host of assets to the program. CATIE is the longest-standing University in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in agriculture and natural resource conservation topics. Its pioneering coffee-related scientific outputs have been recognized worldwide, such as the AGROFORESTA network, the International Coffee Collection, considered the fourth largest on the planet; and the Long-Term Trial in Agroforestry Systems in Coffee, the largest global platform for continuous studies with over two decades of operation.  

"What CATIE can offer is unique in the current context for high-level technical training and is in line with the significant challenges of transforming coffee farming towards adaptation and mitigation of climate change, restoration of agro-ecosystems, promotion of the quality of life of producer families, workers, and supports consumers," emphasized Elias de Melo Virginio, academic coordinator of the CATIE’s Masters program. 

Creating More Accessible Education Tracks 

One of the most unique and valuable aspects of this program is that it provides both a formal and a micro-credentialing track offering participants the possibility of a variety of entry and exit points. Individuals interested in the full Masters Degree in Sustainable and Regenerative Coffee Farming will complete all coursework and a final Graduation Project.

For students interested in the micro-credentialing technical diploma , a choice of just registering for the first part of the program is available.

• Part 1: Technical and Postgraduate Diploma in Innovative Coffee Farming (in collaboration with PROMECAFE). 

• Part 2: International Diploma in Biodiversity and Genetic Improvement of Coffee.  

• Part 3: International Diploma in Agroecological and Climatic Foundations for Resilient Coffee Farming.  

For either track, the minimum requirements include a bachelor's degree in fields such as agronomy, forestry engineering, agroforestry, environmental science, biology, economics, or related fields, as well as proficiency in the Spanish language.  

We invite you to begin your admission process for the new Master's in Sustainable and Regenerative Coffee Farming or the technical diploma with PROMECAFE.

More information:

Elias de Melo Virginio
Coordinator
International Master's in Sustainable and Regenerative Coffee Farming
maestriacafe@catie.ac.cr

Dulce Obin 
Operations Coordinator of PROMECAFE 
International Diploma in Innovative Coffee Farming 
dulceobin@promecafe.net