Peru is home to abundant crop genetic resources in the form of the potato and nutritionally-dense grains, such as amaranth, quinoa, and chia. Additionally, its people maintain a high diversity of livestock in the form of alpaca, llama, and vicuña used for meat, wool, pack animals and tourism. These resources hold vast economic growth potential for Arequipa, but only with rigorous application of agricultural science, economics, and social science.
The Center for Agricultural Innovation and Demonstration (CAID) will guide research at the Arequipa Nexus Institute to promote sustainable production of safe, healthy, and profitable crop and animal agricultural products in Peru. CAID, through its proposed state-of-the-art network of agriculture research innovation and demonstration stations in Arequipa will provide the platform to test optimized management strategies and investigate new and traditional cultivars that will enhance resilience of the Peruvian farmer to the socio-environmental changes underway in Peru.
To achieve these goals CAID researchers will: 1) Utilize advanced phenotyping and genetics to maximize yield and nutrition, 2) Investigate the factors controlling contamination of agricultural products during all stages of production and processing, 3) Experiment with advanced technologies for planting, monitoring, and harvesting of crops, and 4) Test innovations in storage and transport of grains, vegetables, and fruits to minimize loss by pest and physical damage.
CAID facilities also will be the shining example of agricultural technology innovation and work to translate science to the market place in order to grow the agroeconomy and maximize food security of Peru and all of Latin America. CAID will lead in the development of training materials to offer education and capacity building within Latin America regarding agricultural production, water quality, sustainable agricultural management practices including fertilizer and pesticide management.
Through multidisciplinary collaborations between UNSA faculty and staff, relevant community stakeholders, and research and education partnerships with collaborators at Purdue University, CAID facilities will be the reference point for governmental and non-governmental organizations looking to promote food safety and security in Latin America.
The activities at CAID will be closely coordinated with the other Centers of the Arequipa Nexus Institute at UNSA and will house many of the field and experimental studies of the Center for Sustainable Watershed Management (CSWM) and the Center for Soil and Water Quality (CSWQ).
