The Institute of Agroecology and Food at the University of Vigo was established to become a leading center for promoting the transition to more resilient, sustainable, safe, and circular food systems through R&D&I.
Backstory
2009- 2017 Centro de Investigacións Agoalimentarias (CIA)
The strategic grouping was led by Jesús Simal Gándara from 2009 to 2016 and by Francisco Javier Rodríguez Rajo in 2017. It was established as a benchmark in agricultural, food, and environmental research in the Galician region and was one of the first strategic groupings recognized by the Xunta de Galicia.
2018-2021 Clúster de Investigación e Transferencia Agroalimentaria do Campus da Auga (CITACA)
In 2018, the CIA group underwent significant changes to align itself with the research priorities of the Campus Auga specialisation campus, changing its name to CITACA under the direction of Ana Torrado Agrasar.
2021-2022 Instituto de Investigación Agroalimentaria
In 2021, CITACA began a process of transformation into a research institute under the direction of David Fernández Calviño.
2022-Present Instituto de Agroecoloxía e Alimentación (IAA)
In 2022, the Strategic Group’s transformation process concludes with the establishment of the Institute of Agroecology and Food, a leading research center dedicated to sustainable agriculture and nutrition. That same year, the University of Vigo participated as a founding partner of the Iberian FoodTec Lab through the IAA, alongside the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, the University of Salamanca, the University of Valladolid, the University of Minho, and the Catholic University of Portugal.