Subgroup: Cacao -- The USDA, Colfuturo and Purdue agreed to provide fellowships for Colombian graduate students working on cacao at Purdue University.

Executive Summary/Description

The USDA, Colfuturo and Purdue agreed to provide fellowships for Colombian graduate students working on cacao at Purdue University. A Colfuturo loan becomes completely forgivable when the student:

  1. performs research on cacao,
  2. studies at Purdue University,
  3. returns to Colombia to work outside of Bogota upon completion of their degree.

The arrangement allows the USDA to support multiple Colombian students for the normal costs of completely supporting a single student.

LGU Team Participants

Purdue University

Tamara J. Benjamin
Asst. Program Leader, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Juan Diego Velasquez
Managing Director, Colombia-Purdue Initiative

Jeff Stuart
Professor and Executive Director, Colombia-Purdue Initiative

Liliana Gomez
Director, Colombian Partnerships and Engagement Office

Colombian Partners

  • Colfuturo

Outcomes/deliverables

Completely forgivable student loans for two complete years of study for two to three students beginning Spring semester 2018.

Project Funding

Joint USDA-Colfuturo-Purdue funding. Colfuturo provides $50k over two years. USDA provides funding via the Cacao-for-Peace Project. This funding provides for the expenses of one summer and relieves the student from having to reimburse 25% of Colfuturo loan. Purdue provides additional salary to the students.