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50 years of agronomic research in Réunion

Written by Sophie Della Mussia Modified on the

  • CIRAD, 50 ans de recherche agronomique à la Réunion
  • Gérard Matheron, PDG du CIRAD
  • Gilles Mandret, directeur régional du CIRAD à la Réunion-Mayotte

While the IOC was celebrating its 30th anniversary last week, CIRAD Reunion was celebrating 50 years of agricultural research in the presence of its CEO, Gérard Matheron. On this occasion, a film and an illustrated brochure offering a look into the past and opening up prospects for the future were issued.

It was in 1962 that the first research stations of one of the CIRAD predecessors, the IRAT, (Institute of Agricultural Research and Tropical Crops), were built in La Bretagne in Saint-Denis, and in Ligne Paradis in Saint-Pierre. The road leading to this research station was named after it. Today, at No. 7 chemin de l’Irat stands a 3000-squaremeter building : the plant protection centre, a high-level scientific hub, inaugurated on 9 February 2002 with the support of Europe, the French government, local councils and the CIRAD. This illustrates how things have moved on in the field of scientific research for sustainable agriculture.

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