CIRAD

What CIRAD does

CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement) is a French public research establishment (Établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial – EPIC) founded in 1984 and headquartered in Montpellier, with a secondary head office in Paris and 11 regional directions spanning French overseas territories and foreign countries. Operating under the dual supervision of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CIRAD employs approximately 1,750 people, of whom roughly 1,200 are scientists and 172 hold HDR (supervision) qualifications. Its mission is to conduct agronomic research and international cooperation targeting sustainable development in tropical and Mediterranean regions, with a portfolio of approximately 900 projects per year executed with over 200 partner institutions in more than 100 countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.

The organization's core activity is applied and partnership-based research rather than product development. Its technical portfolio spans agroecology, plant genetics and breeding, animal health, food systems, environmental science, biomass valorization, and territorial modeling, with notable proprietary capabilities including nanopore-based portable virus sequencing (Oxford Nanopore MinION) validated in plant virology, long-term (14-year) carbon flux monitoring of eucalyptus plantations in Brazil, and participatory bioenergy technology deployment to West African SMEs. CIRAD does not sell commercial software or products; instead, it delivers outputs through dispositifs en partenariat (joint research structures), donor-funded development projects, doctoral training (~440 students annually from 79 nationalities), an open science portal, and policy advisory services. Its flagship initiatives include LEAP4FNSSA (€5 million EU Horizon 2020, 35 European-African partners), BioStar (40+ bioenergy units deployed to 20 SMEs in Burkina Faso and Senegal), GABiR (circular economy on Réunion Island engaging ~8,000 actors), TISARU (ruminant health in Guadeloupe), and the Innovea coffee breeding network with World Coffee Research (1,000 robusta genotypes).

CIRAD's revenue model is built on public institutional funding rather than commercial sales. Its income derives from French government appropriations, competitive EU research grants (Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe), bilateral development aid (AFD), multilateral development banks (FIDA), and project-based contracts with international organizations. Named recent funding events include a €5 million EU LEAP4FNSSA grant, €391,940 from the Regional Council of Guadeloupe and EU Structural Funds for TISARU, and renewed strategic agreements with IFAD (May 2026), IICA (June 2026), and Chinese research institutions CAAS, CAS, CAU, NAU, and AIRCAS (October 2025). The organization is governed by a Supervisory Board with Élisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin as PDG and Anthony Farisano serving as acting president-directeur général since May 18, 2026. CIRAD holds GDPR/RGPD compliance, runs the Cirad'Innov solutions platform and Ciradimages photo library, and co-organized the One Health Summit in Lyon in April 2026.

Name

CIRAD

Legal name

Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement

Website

https://cirad.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CIRAD is a French public agricultural research center conducting research and international cooperation for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions, partnering with 200+ institutions across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Tropical agronomy research
• International development cooperation
• Agroecology research
• Plant virology diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public institutional funding and research contracts: CIRAD operates as a French EPIC (Établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial) funded primarily through public mandates. Its revenue derives from government appropriations, competitive research grants from EU Horizon programmes, bilateral development aid (AFD), multilateral development banks (FIDA), and institutional donors. These are primarily non-commercial, public-good-oriented funding mechanisms rather than product sales.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CIRAD is the French agricultural research centre working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions. It conducts scientific research in agronomy, forestry, livestock, and food systems, and delivers technology transfer, professional training (100+ programs), and expert advisory services through partnership-based structures ("Dispositifs en partenariat") in over 100 countries. Revenue is driven by public-mandate research, donor-funded development projects, and institutional contracts with governments, NGOs, and research organizations.

Product overview

CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement) is a French public research organization focused on sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions. CIRAD does not offer commercial software products but conducts agronomic research through projects including GABiR (circular economy on Réunion Island), BioStar (bioenergy for West African SMEs), TISARU (ruminant health in Guadeloupe), and LEAP4FNSSA (Europe-Africa research consortium). The organization provides professional training catalog (100+ programs), scientific publications, and offers mobile nanopore sequencing technology for field diagnosis of plant diseases. CIRAD's research spans tropical agricultural value chains including banana, cocoa, coffee, sugarcane, coconut, cotton, rubber, horticulture, dairy, oil palm, animal production, roots and tubers, forest resources, rice, and sorghum/millet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cirad'Innov: Solutions and innovations developed through CIRAD's collaborative research partnership model.
• Ciradimages

Products and services

• TISARU Research Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Eucalyptus plantations can sequester up to 20 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year — 3x more than most tropical rainforests
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026CIRAD and IICA renewed their strategic partnership to promote agroecology in Latin America and the Caribbean, signed in June 2026. Tanguy Lafarge, CIRAD Regional Director, and IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim signed the agreement.
• INRAE (coordinator of AIKO project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026AIKO project launched June 4–5 2026 at CIRAD headquarters, led by INRAE with CIRAD as host, using artificial intelligence to process scientific literature on tropical agriculture.
• IFAD (Fonds international de développement agricole)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed with CIRAD, INRAE, and IRD in May 2026 creating a collaboration platform for innovation and scientific excellence serving rural investment in Africa. Four axes: agroecological practices and pesticide reduction; climate resilience and biodiversity; agricultural value chains and rural territories; and evidence-based public policy. A quadripartite technical committee will oversee joint actions.
• Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026AVSF promotes agroecology as a solution to malnutrition while supporting rural development, poultry farming, and food security initiatives across the globe — aligned with CIRAD's mission.
• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Seven scientific cooperation agreements signed during an INRAE/CIRAD delegation visit to China covering carbon neutrality, agroecology, biodiversity, plant genetics, nutrition, and sustainable livestock farming. Accompanied by inauguration of an INRAE/CIRAD office at the French Embassy in Beijing on October 8.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Partner in the seven scientific cooperation agreements signed between INRAE/CIRAD and leading Chinese research institutions in October 2025.
• China Agricultural University (CAU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Partner in seven scientific cooperation agreements signed between INRAE/CIRAD and leading Chinese research institutions in October 2025.
• Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Partner in seven scientific cooperation agreements signed between INRAE/CIRAD and leading Chinese research institutions in October 2025.
• Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIRCAS)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 October 2025Partner in the INRAE/CIRAD scientific agreements with Chinese institutions, particularly in remote sensing and geospatial analysis for agricultural monitoring.
• ISIC (International Coffee Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2024CIRAD conducted a scientific review commissioned by ISIC examining methodologies for measuring the environmental impact of green coffee, providing recommendations to standardize lifecycle assessments.
• World Coffee Research (WCR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2024Partnership with CIRAD generating 1,000 unique robusta genotypes through the Innovea Arabica Breeding Network. WCR's speed breeding program targets commercial variety releases by 2030, with the robusta breeding network formally launching in 2025 with Vietnam, Uganda, and Ghana as partners. WCR has investment from 200+ member companies across 29 countries.
• INRAE Guadeloupe (operational partner in TISARU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022INRAE is an operational partner in the TISARU project led by CIRAD Guadeloupe, mapping health risks affecting ruminant farms in Guadeloupe from December 2022 to December 2024.
• SANIGWA (operational partner in TISARU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022SANIGWA is an operational partner in the TISARU project led by CIRAD Guadeloupe for mapping ruminant health risks in Guadeloupe.
• ITEL (operational partner in TISARU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022ITEL is an operational partner in the TISARU project led by CIRAD Guadeloupe for mapping ruminant health risks in Guadeloupe.
• BioStar project consortium (2iE, IRSAT, Nitidæ, UTS, ISRA, UGB, UHOH, UC Louvain, UNIROMA3)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The BioStar project involved 9 African and European partners coordinated by CIRAD, deploying 40+ bioenergy equipment units to 20 rural SMEs in Burkina Faso and Senegal from 2020 to 2026, funded by the EU and AFD.
• LEAP4FNSSA Consortium (35 European and African partners)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2019CIRAD coordinates the LEAP4FNSSA (Long-term Europe-Africa Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture) consortium of 35 institutions funded by EU Horizon 2020 at €5 million over 4 years. Partners include ARCs, universities, ministries, and research councils across Europe and Africa.
• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2019INRAE and CIRAD co-signed the LEAP4FNSSA consortium agreement and signed a MoU with FIDA together with IRD in May 2026. They inaugurated a joint office in Beijing and collaborate across multiple scientific domains including agroecology, biodiversity, and plant genetics.
• IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2019IRD co-signed the FIDA MoU with CIRAD and INRAE in May 2026. Collaborates on international research cooperation for sustainable development.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2019FAO is a co-signatory of the white paper 'For a territorial approach to development' alongside CIRAD, OECD, UNCDF, NEPAD, GIZ, BMZ, AFD, and European Commission, calling for wider adoption of territorial approaches in development policy.
• GABiR project partners (Chambre d'agriculture de la Réunion, CRIPTIR, FRCA, INRAE, Qualitropic, SAFER, Université de la Réunion)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CIRAD coordinated the GABiR (Gestion Agricole des Biomasses à l'échelle de la Réunion) project with these partners, engaging ~8000 actors in circular economy for biomass valorization on Reunion Island.
• IPEF (Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Florestais)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006CIRAD maintains a 20-year scientific collaboration with IPEF (which brings together major eucalyptus planting companies in Brazil) and academic partners including University of São Paulo/ESALQ for long-term research on planted forest functioning.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research): Global consortium of international agricultural research centres (e.g., IITA, CIAT, ICARDA, IRRI) conducting tropical and developing-country agronomic research. Directly comparable mission to CIRAD's international research-for-development mandate and partnership model.
• IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement): French public research institute dedicated to international development research, co-signatory with CIRAD of the 2026 IFAD MoU. Shares the research-for-development positioning and tropical geography focus that defines CIRAD.
• IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture): CGIAR member focused on tropical agriculture in Africa. Directly comparable in target crops (cassava, yam, banana, maize), geographic priorities (West Africa), and research-for-development delivery model.
• World Coffee Research: Industry-funded pre-competitive coffee research organization partnering with CIRAD on the robusta breeding network (1,000 unique genotypes). Directly comparable in coffee genetics and breeding, though operating as a private-sector consortium.
• Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT: CGIAR research centre delivering scientific solutions for agricultural biodiversity and tropical crops in the Global South. Closely comparable in mandate (biodiversity, agroecology, climate adaptation) and partnership-based delivery.
• ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas): CGIAR centre focused on dryland and Mediterranean agricultural research, directly comparable to CIRAD's Mediterranean geographic priority and its mandate on resilient agricultural systems in fragile environments.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement): France's primary national agricultural research institute with which CIRAD co-runs the Beijing office and joint scientific agreements. Comparable research domains (agroecology, plant genetics, livestock) but broader temperate-zone focus and significantly larger scale.
• Wageningen University & Research: Dutch research university and institute widely regarded as a global leader in agricultural and food sciences. Overlaps with CIRAD across agroecology, plant sciences, and food systems but with substantially larger scale and temperate/global mandate.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): UN specialized agency co-signatory with CIRAD on the territorial development white paper. Comparable mission (food security, sustainable agriculture) but operates as a global policy and normative body rather than a primary research institution.

Regional players

• Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária): Brazilian agricultural research corporation and partner in CIRAD's long-term eucalyptus/carbon flux research (e.g., EUCFLUX). Comparable tropical agronomy expertise but operating primarily in Brazil with national rather than multi-country development mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Cirad
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LeCIRAD
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cirad-La-recherche-agronomique-pour-le-d%C3%A9veloppement-177761502350452
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cirad
• Instagraminstagram.com/cirad.fr

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CIRAD