Graphical Version

CABI International


CABI Caribbean & Latin America  

CABI office in Curepe, Trinidad & Tobago

CABI Caribbean and Latin America (CLA) is the oldest of the CABI Regional Centres outside the UK.  It was established in 1946 as the West Indian Station of the former International Institute of Biological Control and was initially housed at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, now the University of the West Indies (UWI). 

Our history

The Centre moved to its present location in 1962 close to the Piarco International airport, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and UWI.  Since 1946, we have been the base for numerous outstanding programmes:

  • Commodities: integrated crop management of cocoa and sustainability of coffee in Latin America
  • Invasive species management and classical biological control of important pests, such as cassava mealybug; cassava green mite; Leucaena psyllid, and pink hibiscus mealybug in the Caribbean
  • Knowledge for Development: Implementation of and capacity building in farmer participatory research and training throughout the region  

Our main areas of expertise

Management of invasive species. Invasive species are a major problem in agriculture and the environment. 

CABI CLA has been at the forefront of developing and implementing mitigation efforts e.g. for the pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus and citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi.  Activities have included training and capacity building efforts at the national and regional levels.  

Integrated Crop and Pest Management (ICM/IPM): The Centre has spearheaded activities aimed at sensitising various stakeholders to the benefits of ICM and IPM, particularly in the use of natural enemies as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pest management. 

The Centre has expertise in both classical and inundative biocontrol, including biopesticides.  CABI CLA has been involved in development of technology for the enhanced use of biological pesticides e.g. for the control of the sugarcane froghopper Aeneolamia varia saccharina and is on the cutting edge in cattle tick biocontrol. 

  

 

Participatory approaches for improved farmer decision making: CABI CLA pioneered the introduction of participatory approaches to sensitise farmer groups to the use of ecological approaches to crop production.  In 2002, the Centre was the Technical Agency for the Training of Master Trainers (MTs) Programme (using the Farmer Field School (FFS) Model) involving Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Surinam and Trinidad & Tobago. 

The MTs in turn spearheaded activities in their respective countries during 2003, with technical and logistical co-ordination by CLA.  In Trinidad & Tobago, CABI CLA’s long involvement with the Caura Valley Farmers’ Association (CVFA) resulted in the participation of its farmers in the Pilot FFS. 

The CVFA then contracted CLA to assist with an Integrated Development Initiative (in conjunction with relevant stakeholders). This was developed and submitted for funding by the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme, which was awarded in March 2005.  

Our staff

Dr Lizz Johnson,

Regional Director   

CABI Caribbean & Latin America               

CABI Caribbean and Latin America has 7 staff; 6 based in Trinidad and 1 in Costa Rica.

  
  • Lizz Johnson, Regional Director (Trinidad)
  • Ulrike Krauss, Senior Scientist (Trinidad)
  • Jayne Crozier, Plant Pathologist (Costa Rica)
  • Anne DeGazon, Administrator (Trinidad)
  • Angela Joseph, General Assistant (Trinidad)
  • Perry Polar, Insect Pathologist (Trinidad)
  • Yelitza Colmenarez, Coordinator, Sustainable Crop; Pest Management (Trinidad)

Our activities

CABI CLA supports activities in a diverse region: one that extends from Mexico to Chile and includes islands of the Caribbean, and comprises some of the largest and smallest countries in the developing world. Nearly a third of the half a billion people in the region live in poverty. The region is rich in natural resources and agriculture is very important. However, there are still enormous challenges to develop these sectors in a sustainable way, one that addresses inequalities in wealth. By harnessing CABI’s collective skills and resources, CLA focuses its efforts on complementing national capacities and providing leadership in the following key thematic areas:

  • Sustainable pest management strategies
  • Prevention and management of invasive alien species
  • Conservation and utilisation of biodiversity
  • Support for small holder commodity chains

Our clients benefit from:

  • our well-equipped temperature controlled laboratories
  • outdoor plant and insect rearing facilities, all geared towards  sustainable pest management
  • our extensive library
  • well-maintained insect collection encompassing pests of  agricultural importance and their natural enemies, social  insects such as bees and wasps, and an impressive collection of Lepidoptera.   Our current consultancy and project portfolio covers most countries in the Caribbean and Central and Latin American region.

Recent projects

 Biodiversity and Colombian coffee farmers: capacity building for added value (2002-2005)

 Adaptive Biological Pesticide Development in Trinidad & Tobago and the wider Caribbean (2005)

 Expansion of Farmer Participatory Training and Research (FPTR) Activities in the Caribbean (2005)

 Development of National Biosafety Framework for Guyana (2006)

 Tropical Whitefly Project (2005-2008) 

 Mitigating the Threat of Invasive Alien Species in the Insular Caribbean (2006-2007)  

Our sponsors

We work with a number of government agencies, charities and private companies, including:

  • American Cocoa Research Institute (ACRI)
  • Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
  • Cocoa Research UK (CRUK)
  • Common Fund for Commodities (CFC)
  • Darwin Initiative (DI)
  • Department for International Development (DFID)

Contact Us:
CABI Caribbean & Latin America
Gordon Street
Curepe
Trinidad & Tobago
Tel: +1 868 645 7628
Fax: +1 868 663 2859
Email: caribbeanLA@cabi.org