The agreement includes research and conservation of endemic species with the aim of contributing to the preservation of flora in Coquimbo, Valparaíso and Santiago.

ISA Interchile and the Institute of Agricultural Research, INIA, have signed a collaboration agreement aimed at strengthening the protection and dissemination of native flora, which will allow the genetic material of endangered species to be safeguarded and a massive planting of individuals in the central-northern zone of the country to be generated in the future.

Through this long-term public-private partnership, which contemplates more than five years of joint work, the company will support research at the INIA La Cruz and INIA Intihuasi centers, with the objective of strengthening the seedling production protocols of the 21 species, to generate an approximate of 100,000 individuals that will begin to be planted from 2022. Additionally, this agreement seeks to encourage conservation actions for critical species to safeguard their genetic material, which will allow future generations to have the original natural environment of the area, contributing to the preservation of the ecosystem.

ISA Interchile’s General Manager, Gabriel Melguizo, stated that this collaboration agreement “allows us to be consistent with what we believe and what is at the heart of our strategy, which is the generation of sustainable value. This agreement with INIA is a real commitment to future generations and the protection of our environment.” For Melguizo, it is essential to invest in science and research, “the development of countries must go hand in hand with research, which allows us to enhance growth, generate value and work hand in hand with communities.”

The research will also identify the characteristics of endemic species and their real contributions to the ecosystem, including the development of the agricultural sector, as explained by the Director of INIA La Cruz, Patricio Fuenzalida, “we are very confident in this enriching relationship with ISA Interchile to advance in sustainable production systems. Our region is inherently agricultural and we have to work alongside our farmers in a collaborative way, through research, to maintain their competitiveness in the market with a sustainable vision, and for that it is essential to know the contribution of endemic species to the ecosystem.”

The director of INIA Intihuasi, Edgardo Díaz, indicated that ” This agreement represents a great opportunity to deepen the study, assessment, and conservation of native species, in order to technically safeguard the genetic diversity and ecosystem contribution that these species make. This private-public partnership allows us to strengthen a sustainable development vision within the territory.”