World Agroforestry

What World Agroforestry does

World Agroforestry, operating commercially as the Landscape Alliance, is a non-profit scientific research organization formed by the union of CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) and ICRAF (International Centre for Research on Agroforestry). Both organizations function as independent international entities and CGIAR Research Centers within the global CGIAR research partnership. Founded in 1978 (ICRAF) and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the organization employs 501-1,000 staff and maintains a presence in 25+ countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, with regional offices in Bogor (Indonesia), Bonn (Germany), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Bangkok (Thailand).

The core product is an open-access knowledge platform comprising eight interconnected offerings: Publications (750+ titles per year in multiple languages), Forests News, Agroforestry World News, ThinkLandscape, Videos, Datasets, Events, and the Global Landscapes Forum. These products together form an open data and content ecosystem covering agroforestry, climate change, landscape restoration, biodiversity, food systems, livelihoods, rights and forest policy. There is no proprietary software stack, no mobile app, no API, and no disclosed commercial platform; underlying technology is best described as a scientific research and publishing platform rather than a software product. Customers served include national governments and policymakers, rural communities and smallholder farmers, research institutions and academia, and NGOs and development organizations, with use cases spanning climate adaptation, REDD+ and carbon markets, landscape restoration investments, biodiversity conservation and inclusive value chains.

Revenue mechanics are consistent with a non-profit research model: core funding flows through the CGIAR system (treated as recurring institutional support), supplemented by project-specific research grants and contracts from governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations. All publications, datasets, videos, podcasts and presentations are distributed free of charge, and there is no commercial pricing, sales-led GTM, or monetization model. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led (anchored by the Global Landscapes Forum and events such as UNCCD COP17), with selective hiring of specialized research and program staff.

Name

World Agroforestry

Legal name

Landscape Alliance

Website

https://worldagroforestry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

World Agroforestry (Landscape Alliance) is a non-profit CGIAR Research Center, formed from CIFOR and ICRAF, that produces open-access agroforestry, climate, biodiversity, and livelihoods research across 25+ countries and serves governments, smallholder farmers, researchers, and development organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural and Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Decision Support & Agronomic Modeling (Yield, Irrigation, Pest/Disease Forecasting) (AFAAAFAF), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Agroforestry research
• Climate change research
• Biodiversity conservation
• Sustainable land management
• Landscape restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CGIAR Research Center Funding: As CGIAR Research Centers, CIFOR and ICRAF receive core funding through the CGIAR system, a global partnership engaged in research about crops, agriculture, climate change, earth science, biodiversity, nutrition, and water.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Receives funding from governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations for specific research projects and programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

World Agroforestry (ICRAF), operating under the Landscape Alliance brand alongside CIFOR, is a non-profit international research organization that conducts scientific research on agroforestry, climate change, biodiversity, food systems, and livelihoods. It produces open-access publications, datasets, and knowledge products delivered through digital platforms, events, and field programs across 25+ countries, funded primarily through CGIAR system funding and research grants.

Product overview

Landscape Alliance operates as a knowledge platform and publication hub for agroforestry and environmental research. The organization is the operating name of CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) and ICRAF (International Centre for Research on Agroforestry). The platform consists of multiple interconnected knowledge products including Publications, Forests News, Agroforestry World News, ThinkLandscape, Videos, Datasets, Events, and the Global Landscape Forum. Together, these products form an open-access knowledge ecosystem focused on climate change, biodiversity, food systems, and livelihoods research, publishing over 750 titles annually across multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Publications Open-access research publications covering agroforestry, climate change, landscape restoration, rights, and forest policy. Published in multiple languages with over 750 titles per year for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
• Forests News News channel providing reporting on forests, climate, and environmental issues globally, available freely to the public and stakeholders.
• Agroforestry World News News portal covering agroforestry developments, research updates, and field stories from around the world for researchers, practitioners, and the general public.
• ThinkLandscape Digital platform featuring analysis and perspectives on landscape approaches and environmental topics for sustainability professionals and researchers.
• Videos Video library featuring documentaries, interviews, and presentations on forests, agroforestry, and environmental topics, available freely online.
• Datasets Open-access datasets related to forests, agroforestry, climate, and biodiversity research for researchers, analysts, and policy professionals.
• Global Landscapes Forum Global platform and campaign focused on landscape restoration and sustainable land use, hosting events and community engagement programs including the Restoration Stewards Program and GLF chapters for sustainability stakeholders worldwide.
• Events Event hosting and listing platform featuring upcoming and past events including conferences, webinars, and workshops on climate, forests, and agroforestry topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 750 titles published every year in multiple languages

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CGIARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFOR and ICRAF are both CGIAR Research Centers within the CGIAR system, a global research partnership engaged in research about crops, agriculture, climate change, earth science, biodiversity, nutrition, and water. This is the core organizational structure.
• CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFOR and ICRAF are independent International Organizations that operate together under the Landscape Alliance brand. CIFOR focuses on forestry research while ICRAF focuses on agroforestry.
• ICRAF (International Centre for Research on Agroforestry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRAF (World Agroforestry) is an independent International Organization and CGIAR Research Center focused on agroforestry research. Together with CIFOR, it operates under the Landscape Alliance brand.
• National Governments and Research InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with governments in 25+ countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Brazil, and others for research collaboration and policy support.
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in UNCCD COP events; engaged in Great Green Wall monitoring and restoration efforts in Africa's drylands.
• Global Landscapes ForummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the Global Landscapes Forum, a global campaign to shift who sets the agenda on landscape restoration and sustainability.
• CIMMYTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on crop science and remote sensing research positions; joint hiring for research technician roles.
• ICRISATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research technician positions for agricultural research programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization working on climate, energy, food, water, forests, and cities, with comparable open-access publications, datasets, and policy advisory role to governments; overlaps significantly in the climate, forests, and food systems agenda and competes for the same pool of philanthropic and bilateral funding.
• CGIAR System Organization: The umbrella global research partnership for food security of which World Agroforestry (ICRAF/CIFOR) is a member center; directly comparable as the parent system governing pooled donor funding and shared research priorities across 15+ international agricultural research centers.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation organization with comparable multi-country field presence, restoration program work, and donor-funded operating model; overlaps with World Agroforestry on landscape restoration, biodiversity hotspots, and forest conservation in the same geographies.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation NGO with comparable portfolio on forest restoration, biodiversity protection, and climate-smart land use, with strong government partnerships and large-scale project implementation across developing countries.
• Stockholm Environment Institute: Independent research organization working at the intersection of environment, development, and policy, with comparable open-access publication model and policy advisory work to governments, multilaterals, and civil society on climate, biodiversity, and sustainable landscapes.

Direct peers

• IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture): Another CGIAR Research Center focused on tropical agriculture across Africa, with comparable open-access research model, multi-country presence, and smallholder-focused mandate — overlapping significantly on agricultural research for development.
• Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT: Sister CGIAR Research Center delivering research on agricultural biodiversity, climate adaptation, and food system transformation; directly comparable as another CGIAR center operating under a unified multi-center brand with overlapping mandate on smallholder agriculture and landscape approaches.
• IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute): A sister CGIAR Research Center focused on food policy, nutrition, and agricultural economics; comparable as another CGIAR-affiliated international research center addressing food systems and providing policy guidance to governments in developing countries.
• CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center): Regional research and graduate education center for tropical agriculture and natural resources in Latin America and the Caribbean, focused on agroforestry, watershed management, and smallholder livelihoods — closely matching ICRAF's agroforestry mandate but with regional rather than global scope.
• CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development): France's international agricultural research organization for tropical and subtropical regions, with overlapping mandate on agroforestry, climate adaptation, and biodiversity in developing countries; one of the closest European analogues in scale, scope, and donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icraf
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldagroforestry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worldagroforestry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Agroforestry