The Atacama Goat Program, a major Usach-INDAP initiative, is designed to enable Atacama goat milk producers to significantly maintain or increase their productive activity, remain in the territory, and boost their gross margin. This is achieved by strengthening the production and commercial aspects of their systems through the incorporation of practices and management techniques linked to sustainability and value addition.
In this regard, the Usach Department of Industrial Engineering is once again taking on the challenge, as the executing entity, of this Training, Technology Transfer, and Productive Investment Program for the goat farming sector in the Atacama Region. The total amount is $3.45 billion, granted by INDAP.
This institutional achievement is led by academic Dr. Pedro Palominos Belmar, who heads the team that will implement a comprehensive model of territorial characterization, productive investment, specialized training, and technical support to boost the regional goat sector. “The award consolidates the University of Santiago (Usach) as a coordinator of public policies; it integrates science, investment, and training to directly impact the territory and, at the same time, strengthen our lines of research and training,” he explains.
The initiative will directly benefit 420 goat producers distributed throughout the municipalities of Atacama. “This project reinforces Usach's public vocation: to bring applied knowledge to the territory, promote productivity with sustainability, and open up training opportunities for our academic community,” adds Dr. Palominos.
Program Objectives and Components
Inspired by INDAP's strategic guidelines (2023-2030), the program has four strategic focuses crucial for sustainable rural development:
Technical characterization and land use planning (georeferencing, baseline, and intervention ranking) to target actions by sector and territory.
Action plans and productive investment in infrastructure and water efficiency (improvements to corrals, irrigation, solar pumping, among others).
Training and technology transfer (productive management, business management, added value) with internships and field work during implementation.
Monitoring and traceability through tracking dashboards and computer systems for management and reporting.
Institutional Impact and National Projection
The awarding of the Atacama Goat Program marks a new milestone for Usach and consolidates the Department of Industrial Engineering as a key coordinator of public policies for innovation and rural development. The proposal combined scientific rigor, technological innovation, and agile management, aligning with the INDAP 2023–2030 Strategy and bringing together in a single plan the territorial characterization of beneficiaries, targeted productive interventions, investments in infrastructure and irrigation, as well as technology transfer geared toward sustainability. A key element was the experience of our University, the operational capacity of SDT-Usach, and the quality of the technical team that supported the proposal.
Participation in transformative initiatives such as this one positions Usach and the Faculty of Engineering as strategic actors in public policies for sustainable development, strengthening links with the environment, technology transfer, and support for historically neglected sectors, particularly goat farming families in the Atacama Region.