The CATIE experience in agroforestry teaching and training in Latin America

CATIE has been involved in agroforestry training at the MS level, short courses for professionals, and in-service training since 1976. Approximately one hundred MS degrees with theses in agroforestry subjects have been awarded during this period, and well over one hundred professionals have participated in short courses. Almost all of these activities have been funded by various short-term projects. Although CATIE has maintained a staff with experience in agroforestry research and training throughout this period, the dependence on short-term funding has resulted in changes in the personnel available to give courses. These changes have, however, to some degree reflected changes in the concepts of what areas within agroforestry should receive the greatest emphasis. The training program at CATIE has always maintained a strong on-farm orientation, but long-term experiments established at CATIE over the past twenty years are employed to give more basic training in research methodology.