CABI

What CABI does

CABI (CAB International) is a not-for-profit, intergovernmental organization founded in 1910 and headquartered in Wallingford, United Kingdom, with twelve regional centres spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and a global workforce of more than 500. It pursues a dual mission of generating and disseminating agricultural and environmental knowledge, operating on one side as a scientific publisher (CABI Digital Library, compendiums, journals, and books) and on the other as an implementer of donor-funded international development programmes, most notably PlantwisePlus, which delivers plant health services to smallholder farmers in low- and lower-middle-income countries through plant clinics, trained extension workers, and digital advisory tools. Core technology assets include the CABI Digital Library (serving 13,600+ institutions and 26.4 million users), the BioProtection Portal, the Horizon Scanning Tool, the Pest Risk Analysis Tool, the PRISE earth-observation-based pest forecasting service, the Crop Sprayer App, and the new SDGenie SDG-target matching tool, all built atop a proprietary content corpus expanded by 600,000 records in 2025.

CABI serves three primary customer groups: government agricultural ministries and plant protection agencies (Nepal, Ghana, Zambia, Pakistan, Uganda, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and now Burundi), academic and research institutions including the RUFORUM network of 175 African universities, and smallholder farmers reached through plant clinic networks in 30+ countries. The organization generates revenue through a hybrid model: institutional subscriptions, licensing, and book sales fund the publishing arm, while multi-donor grants from the Netherlands DGIS, the European Commission INTPA, the UK FCDO, the Swiss SDC, and China's MARA fund the development programme arm. Sub-brands include PlantwisePlus, CABI Academy, the Juno Evidence Alliance, the One Health Hub, the Global Burden of Crop Loss, and CABI Multifunctional Landscapes, and the wholly-owned subsidiary SciDev.Net provides science journalism reach.

Name

CABI

Legal name

CAB International (CABI)

Website

https://cabi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

CABI is a UK-headquartered, not-for-profit intergovernmental organization founded in 1910 that shares agricultural and environmental knowledge through scientific publishing and donor-funded development programmes, serving governments, academic institutions, and smallholder farmers across more than 30 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Knowledge and Information Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Accounting, Verification & Registry Services (MRV, Audits, Certification) (IMAMAJAE)

Keywords

• Agricultural knowledge publishing
• Plant health advisory
• Scientific databases
• Digital library platforms
• International development programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Wallingford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scientific Publishing: CABI generates revenue through publishing scientific books, journals, databases, and compendia. Revenue comes from subscriptions, book sales, and licensing of content to academic institutions, libraries, and research organizations globally.
2. Donor-funded Development Programmes: CABI operates major international development programmes such as PlantwisePlus, funded by governments and development agencies including the Netherlands, EU, UK FCDO, Switzerland SDC, and China MARA. These grants fund agricultural research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CABI is an intergovernmental not-for-profit organization that provides agricultural and environmental knowledge products and services to governments, research institutions, and smallholder farmers worldwide. The organization generates revenue through scientific publishing (books, journals, databases, and compendia) sold via institutional subscriptions, and delivers donor-funded international development programmes such as PlantwisePlus that include plant clinics, digital advisory tools, and capacity building. CABI also operates free digital tools for sustainable crop management, e-learning via CABI Academy, and applied bioscience research services.

Product overview

CABI operates a multi-product platform focused on agricultural and environmental knowledge sharing. The core offerings include the CABI Digital Library (serving over 13,600 institutions with scientific publications), CABI BioProtection Portal (biocontrol and biopesticide information), and PlantwisePlus (a global programme with digital advisory tools, plant clinics, and the PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank). Supporting tools include the Crop Sprayer App, Horizon Scanning Tool, Pest Risk Analysis Tool, SDGenie, and comprehensive compendiums (Crop Protection, Invasive Species). The CABI Academy provides e-learning capabilities, while specialized resources like the CABI Multifunctional Landscapes journal and CABI Books open resources round out the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PlantwisePlus: A global programme to increase incomes and grow safer and higher quality food through sustainable approaches to crop production
• CABI Digital Library
• CABI BioProtection Portal
• CABI Academy
• Juno Evidence Alliance
• One Health Hub
• Global Burden of Crop Loss
• CABI Multifunctional Landscapes
• SDGenie
• SciDev.Net

Products and services

• CABI Digital Library Comprehensive digital library platform providing access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge to over 13,600 institutions worldwide, supporting 26.4 million users with 56 million page views and 3,400 scholarly works published in 2025.
• CABI BioProtection Portal Free digital tool providing growers and agricultural advisors with information on biocontrol and biopesticide products to support sustainable crop management.
• PlantwisePlus Programme Global donor-funded programme providing digital advisory tools, plant clinics, and capacity building support to help smallholder farmers in low and lower-middle income countries predict, prepare for, and prevent plant health threats through sustainable crop production.
• CABI Academy Online learning platform offering courses, skills frameworks, and assessment materials for agricultural education and professional development, including the Evidence Synthesis course launched in December 2025 and the Evidence Synthesis Skills Framework launched in October 2025.
• Horizon Scanning Tool Digital tool for early detection and monitoring of invasive species and emerging pest threats, supporting biosecurity and plant health preparedness.
• Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) Tool Risk assessment tool for evaluating potential pest threats to agricultural systems and trade, supporting regulatory decision-making on quarantine pests.
• Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE) Service using earth observation technology, real-time field observations, and plant-pest lifecycle data to forecast pest outbreak risks for farmers and agricultural agencies.
• Crop Protection Compendium Comprehensive compendium bringing together data and research on crop pests, diseases, and protection measures across species, serving as a reference resource for researchers and agricultural practitioners.
• Invasive Species Compendium Comprehensive database covering invasive alien species with data and research to support biosecurity, conservation efforts, and invasive species management.
• CABI Multifunctional Landscapes Journal International open access journal launched in April 2026 dedicated to advancing integrated landscape research through inclusive, transdisciplinary, and practice-oriented research.
• CABI Books (Open Resources) Textbook series with supplementary educational materials including lecture slides, maps, images, multiple choice questions, and other educational resources spanning plant sciences, veterinary science, agriculture, environmental sciences, and tourism.
• Evidence Synthesis Course Structured course launched in December 2025 within the CABI Academy to strengthen global capacity in evidence synthesis methodology for agricultural and development research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26.4 million people supported through digital library platform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Global Partnership for Pesticide Risk Reduction (multiple stakeholders)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026CABI-led global partnership bringing together public and private sector stakeholders to address pesticide risks globally through coordinated international action across policy, research, and production. Responds to 71% increase in global pesticide use between 2000-2023.
• RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Strategic MoU signed with RUFORUM to strengthen agricultural education and research across Africa. Leverages RUFORUM's network of 175 universities in 40 countries with CABI's global expertise in plant health, digital tools, and sustainable farming. Focuses on e-learning platform development, experiential learning, and co-designed curricula in plant health, biodiversity protection, and sustainable farming.
• Pakistan Agricultural Departments (Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2022MoU agreements signed for PlantwisePlus implementation across all provinces of Pakistan. Government committed to quality assurance and accreditation of plant clinic operations.
• Government of Nepal / Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership agreement signed for PlantwisePlus implementation with Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre (PQPMC). Includes 60 plant clinics and 300 trained extension officials. Focus areas: pest preparedness, invasive species, market access, pesticide risk reduction.
• Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlantwisePlus implementation in Ghana with focus on female farmers and extension services. Partnership includes Plant Protection & Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), Environmental Protection Agency, and Ghana Green Label Scheme.
• Zambia Ministry of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlantwisePlus implementation to help smallholder farmers predict, prepare and prevent plant health threats. Builds on previous Plantwise and Action on Invasives programmes.
• National Agricultural Research Institute, Papua New Guinea (NARI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to implement PlantwisePlus in PNG to help smallholder farmers grow more and lose less to crop pests and diseases. Agriculture provides 22% of PNG's GDP.
• International Society of Horticultural SciencesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew publishing partnership to expand knowledge sharing in horticultural science.
• Entomological Society of IndiasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew publishing partnership to strengthen entomological research dissemination.
• Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment donation from CABI and EU including vehicles, laptops, and tablets to strengthen export inspections of fresh fruits and vegetables for EU compliance.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Springer Nature: Springer Nature is a dominant commercial scientific publisher whose agriculture, plant sciences, and life sciences journals compete directly with CABI's publishing portfolio for institutional subscriptions, society partnerships, and open-access APC revenue.

Direct peers

• WorldFish: WorldFish is a CGIAR center focused on aquatic food systems research in developing countries, with similar smallholder impact missions, donor funding profiles, and One Health framing as CABI; both organizations deliver applied science through regional centres in Africa and Asia.
• CropLife International: CropLife International represents the plant science industry and operates in the same crop protection domain as CABI's PlantwisePlus and BioProtection Portal; both organizations engage with governments on pesticide policy and sustainable agriculture, though CropLife is industry-funded while CABI is intergovernmental.
• European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO): EPPO is an intergovernmental plant protection organization that develops standards for phytosanitary measures and pest risk analysis, the same domain as CABI's Pest Risk Analysis Tool and Invasive Species Compendium; both serve national plant protection agencies with technical standards.
• CGIAR: CGIAR is a global partnership of international agricultural research centers with a near-identical mission of applying agricultural science to smallholder farmer outcomes; CABI sits alongside CGIAR's UK Centre and competes for similar donor funding and research collaborations in plant health and food security.
• ICRISAT: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics is a CGIAR center focused on crop improvement and smallholder agriculture in similar geographies to CABI's Africa and Asia focus countries; both organizations share donor audiences and overlapping research portfolios in plant health and sustainable farming.
• IFPRI: The International Food Policy Research Institute generates policy-oriented agricultural research and knowledge products; IFPRI competes with CABI's evidence synthesis capabilities under the Juno Evidence Alliance for donor funding on food systems, evidence gaps, and policy advisory work in developing countries.
• Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT: The Alliance delivers research on agricultural biodiversity and tropical crops, with a publishing and digital knowledge portfolio overlapping CABI's compendia and Digital Library; both serve similar academic and development audiences with comparable agricultural science products.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): The UN agency for food and agriculture, FAO operates a parallel mandate of producing global agricultural knowledge, statistics, and plant health standards; both organizations serve similar governments, researchers, and smallholder constituencies and compete for the same donor mindshare in international development.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): IRRI is a CGIAR center with a strong Asian smallholder mandate and active publishing and digital extension activities; like CABI, IRRI partners with national agricultural ministries and universities across Asia to deliver crop health and productivity programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CABI.development
• Xtwitter.com/CABI_Plantwise

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CABI