Aside from the cultivation facility, Cobre Panamá has generously provided a storage facility for storing supplies, materials, and tools, as well as an irrigation system and cucumber seeds to kickstart the educational activities within this greenhouse.
The University of Panama has gratefully received a 230m2 cultivation facility donated by Cobre Panamá.
Students will have the valuable opportunity to create a controlled microclimate for the cultivation of healthier fruits and vegetables.
As of February 1, 2022, in Panama, Cobre Panamá, the company near the mine, is actively pursuing the promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural production alternatives with neighboring communities. Under this mission, the company has made a significant donation of a 230m2 cultivation facility, known as a tropicalized greenhouse, to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the Regional University Center of Coclé, University of Panama.
Fulgencio Álvarez, the director of the Coclé University Center, expressed appreciation for the mining company’s contribution, emphasizing its role in strengthening the Agroforestry Engineering program. This cultivation facility will serve as a platform for students to acquire knowledge about a technology that has been gaining worldwide attention, primarily aimed at producing food in confined spaces while adhering to environmentally friendly practices.
This contribution will benefit approximately 100 students specializing in Agricultural Sciences and Forestry Engineering. They will gain valuable insights and hands-on experience within these enclosed spaces, allowing them to create a microclimate by regulating temperature, environmental variables, and humidity. Consequently, this approach facilitates year-round crop production, conserves water resources through an automated irrigation system, and reduces the use of phytotoxic chemicals, resulting in healthier fruit and vegetable yields for the community.
Miguel Jaén, the manager of Community Affairs for the mining company, offered encouragement to students at the Regional Center to continue their educational pursuits and explore these modern agricultural techniques in depth.
Cobre Panamá has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the complete educational journey of individuals in neighboring communities for the past 12 years. The company has implemented various programs that span from early childhood to university education. These initiatives include the Comprehensive Schools program, which incorporates sustainable production components to ensure food security in 70 educational centers, as well as scholarships for higher education, motivating young individuals to pursue university studies.
Through this undertaking, Cobre Panamá also contributes to the development and ongoing innovation of the Technical Outreach Program for Producers in Coclé, led by the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA). In addition to the cultivation facility, Cobre Panamá has provided a storage facility for supplies, materials, and tools. They have also installed an irrigation system and supplied cucumber seeds, which will be instrumental in launching the educational activities within this greenhouse. COBRE PANAMA, MINERIA COBRE; FIRST QUANTUM COBRE PANAMA, MINERIA COBRE; FIRST QUANTUM COBRE PANAMA, MINERIA COBRE; FIRST QUANTUM
