The Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute (CARDI) has been in operation since 1975. Its indirect predecessors were the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA) and the Regional Research Centre (RRC).
The Institute's core budget funding comes from 12 CARICOM member states which signed the agreement to establish CARDI and is made according to an agreed formula. Funding for projects comes from donor agencies.
CARDI's mandate includes assisting with the research and development needs of the agriculture sector in the Caribbean region as identified in national plans and policies.
The approach adopted by CARDI in pursuit of its mission is based on three pillars
bottom up/client led, working together, transparency and accountability.
CARDI is uniquely positioned to respond rapidly to agricultural needs and problems identified by CARICOM member countries by virtue of its geographic spread (which includes 12 field operations across the region) and its scientific capacity.
