%0 artículo %A Paniagua-Vásquez, Amelia %E Azofeifa, José Bernal %D 2016 %G spa %T Impact on the Society of Implementing the Integrated Project for the Organic Vanilla Cultivation in Agroforestry Systems, and Its Linkage with the Agri-Food Sector %U https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/dialogo/article/view/8796 %X Vanilla is the most economically important orchid in the world. For this reason, since 2006, the aim of the National University through this project was the implementation of agricultural development models in Agroforestry Systems (AFS) in socioeconomically vulnerable regions of Costa Rica. Among the main results of this project include: formation and legalization of the National Association of Vanilla Producers of Costa Rica (APROVAINILLA), annual course on general aspects of the vanilla cultivation in AFS with national and international participants, realization of the First Vanilla International Seminar, funding of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT), Foundation for the Development and Promotion of Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer in Costa Rica (FITTACORI), Special Fund for Higher Education (FEES), Institutional Fund of Economic Development (FIDA) and University Fund for Regional Development (FUNDER), establishment of the first Germplasm Bank of Vanilla in Costa Rica, scientific alliances with the Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD-France), student involvement of various careers of TEC, UNA, UCR, UNED for conducting graduate and postgraduate thesis, documentary “Vanilla in Costa Rica”, training of farmers in managing and selecting vanilla bean, a field day per year with producers, students and community members, speeches on non-timber forest products, participation in national and international seminars and conferences, exporting of in vitro plants, scientific publications, scientific collecting passports. Accumulated experiences in the areas of extension, research and teaching, agroecological conditions in Costa Rica as well as the existing genetic resources, open the possibility to develop productive models based on organic agriculture, and perhaps in the medium - to long-term the country could become a commercial exporter of gourmet vanilla worldwide.