Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal

What Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal does

INIAF (Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal) is the Plurinational State of Bolivia's national competent authority for agricultural and forestry innovation, established in 2008 and operating under the Ministry of Productive Development, Rural and Water (MDPRyA). As the governing body of the National Agricultural and Forestry Innovation System (SNIAF), it executes regulatory, research, extension, technology transfer, and seed certification functions across all nine Bolivian departments. The institution serves agricultural and forestry producers, public-sector programs, and academic institutions through a network of nine departmental seed offices, technology innovation centers (CIT Café, CIT Cacao, CENACA for sugarcane, CNPSH for vegetables), aquaculture research centers, and the National Germplasm Bank at Toralapa, which conserves 20,025 accessions of Andean crops, roots, cereals, and forest species.

INIAF's core technical capabilities include plant tissue culture and in vitro propagation, a precision phenotyping platform evaluating 3,788 experimental wheat lines in partnership with CIMMYT, ISTA-accredited seed quality testing (accredited since 2004, passed seven consecutive audits through 2025), seed peletization for vegetable seeds, and germplasm conservation. Product output includes newly released varieties (CENB 18-194 sugarcane, COIPSA-INIAF coffee yielding up to 90 quintales per hectare, R-CANO peach yielding up to 25 tons per hectare, and four rice varieties Jenecherú, Radiante, Yotaua, and Chasqui), the first national production of Malaysian giant shrimp post-larvae at the San Juan de Yapacaní center, and 40-ton annual vegetable seed production capacity at CNPSH Sipe Sipe.

INIAF operates as a publicly funded institution rather than a commercial enterprise. Its revenue base comprises recurring government budget allocations from MDPRyA, transactional seed certification fees under a published 2026 tariff (Tarifario) system, and project-based grants from international development partners including FAO, FIDA, KOPIA (Korea), IICA, CIMMYT, CIP, CAAS (China), and ICAR (India). Customer segments are predominantly domestic agricultural producers (smallholders and SMBs), public-sector and municipal governments, and academic institutions such as UMSA, UPEA, UCB, and UAJMS. Distribution reaches producers through direct field extension services, departmental seed offices, technology innovation centers, and seed production/service centers under regulatory mandate.

Name

Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal

Legal name

Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal

Website

https://iniaf.gob.bo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

INIAF is Bolivia's national agricultural and forestry innovation authority, founded in 2008 under the Ministry of Productive Development, Rural and Water. It executes seed certification, germplasm conservation, and technology transfer, serving producers across all nine Bolivian departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700), Forestry (800)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAMAF

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

SECONDARYAFAMAAAD

Forest Nurseries, Seed Orchards & Genetic Improvement

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Management & Silviculture

SECONDARYAFAAAHAG

CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Equipment & Technology/Controlled Environment Agriculture (Greenhouses, Hydroponics/Aeroponics Systems)

SECONDARYBPAIAIAG

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Foreign Affairs & Diplomatic Services

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Seed certification
• Genetic resource conservation
• Agricultural technology transfer
• Forestry innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

La Paz

HQ country

Bolivia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: Primary funding from the Ministry of Productive Development, Rural and Water (MDPRyA) annual government budget allocations for public agricultural research and innovation services.
2. Seed Certification Fees: Fee-based seed certification services, laboratory analysis, and quality testing provided to producers and seed companies through the National Seed Direction tariff system.
3. International Development Projects: Funding from international cooperation agencies including FIDA, KOPIA, CIMMYT, IICA, and other development partners for specific agricultural research and development projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

INIAF is Bolivia's national competent authority for agricultural and forestry innovation. It regulates and executes agricultural research, seed certification, germplasm conservation, technology transfer, and technical extension services across the country's nine departments. The institute also develops and releases new crop varieties, operates aquaculture research, and provides laboratory analysis and quality testing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed Certification Services ISTA-accredited laboratory-based seed quality analysis and certification for national and international seed export, operated through the National Seed Direction and its 9 departmental offices.
• National Germplasm Bank Services Conservation of 20,025 accessions of tubers, roots, Andean grains, forest species, cereals, legumes, valley fruits, and stimulants at Toralapa, Cochabamba, including a plant tissue culture laboratory.
• In Vitro Plant Propagation Services Tissue culture techniques for plant propagation, sanitation, and phytosanitary management to obtain disease-free plants for crops including pineapple, potato, and tropical fruits.
• Vegetable Seed Production (CNPSH) National center for vegetable seed production, research, and innovation with capacity of up to 40 tons of seeds, including soils, water, phytopathology, biotechnology labs, and seed pelleting innovation at Sipe Sipe, Cochabamba.
• CIT Café Coffee Innovation Center Services Research, innovation, and technological development for coffee production in northern La Paz, including genetic resource management and in vitro plant multiplication.
• Aquaculture Research Services (San Juan de Yapacaní and Cocochi) Aquaculture research and production, including the first national production of Malaysian giant shrimp post-larvae and warm-water fish fry production for Amazon aquatic species.
• CENACA Sugarcane Innovation Services Sugarcane research and development including drone technology applications for ripening agents at the National Sugar Cane Innovation Center in Fernández Alonso, Obispo Santistevan.
• Precision Phenotyping Platform (Okinawa Uno) Field-based precision phenotyping platform evaluating 3,788 experimental wheat lines and 13 international nurseries for disease resistance and yield improvement in partnership with CIMMYT.
• CENB 18-194 Sugarcane Variety New high-yield sugarcane variety with disease resistance (Brown Rust and Whip Smut), superior industrial performance, low flowering, and optimal sucrose concentration, allowing harvest starting in May.
• COIPSA-INIAF Coffee Variety

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 quintales/hectare coffee yield with new COIPSA-INIAF variety, vs. 50 quintales traditional average
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PMA (Programa Mundial de Alimentos / WFP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Alliance with the World Food Programme to strengthen agricultural development in Santa Cruz. Joint efforts for food security and sustainable agricultural production.
• K-LAB Bolivia / NIPA / Korea Ministry of Science and ICTcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2026Introductory course on Artificial Intelligence applied to agriculture. International cooperation from South Korea through NIPA for modernizing agricultural research capabilities.
• ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Coordination meeting with Indian Ambassador to establish cooperation mechanisms for technical assistance and research between ICAR and INIAF.
• KOPIA (Korea Project on International Agriculture) / RDAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025$110,000 donation for strengthening INIAF Technology Innovation Centers. Model communities project for potato productivity improvement using high-quality seeds and appropriate technologies, executed in 5 departments with extension to April 2026.
• CAAS (Academia China de Ciencias Agrícolas)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Memorandum of Understanding signed for technology transfer, genetic improvement, agricultural innovation, university articulation for graduate training, and exchange of experiences between China and Bolivia.
• SENAMHI (Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Strategic inter-institutional agreement for exchange of meteorological, agrometeorological, and hydrological information. INIAF weather stations to be integrated into SENAMHI's national network.
• AGROSAVIA (Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Technical visit by Colombian delegation to advance toward Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in research, innovation, and technology transfer.
• UMSA (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Five-year cooperation agreement for internships, research projects, and scientific collaboration in strategic agricultural areas.
• IICA (Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-execution agreement for agricultural cooperation projects, including the Raíces Agroecológicas project for participatory improvement of genetic resources and seed systems.
• CIP (Centro Internacional de la Papa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFramework agreement for inter-institutional cooperation in potato research, genetic resource management, and agricultural innovation.
• CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for wheat improvement through the Trigo-CIMMYT project, evaluating 3,788 experimental lines and 13 international nurseries for disease resistance.
• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical collaboration through the KoLFACI (Korea-Central America-Latin America Cooperation for Food and Agriculture) initiative, advancing cacao research in the CIT Cacao.
• PROINPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the Raíces Agroecológicas project for participatory evaluation and selection of maize, rice, and cassava genetic materials in Baures.
• CIPCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in sustainable agriculture and genetic resource conservation initiatives in the Beni region.
• ITAP Portachuelo (Instituto Tecnológico Agropecuario)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination for First Encounter to Strengthen Rice Production, presenting four new rice varieties and agricultural technologies for northern Santa Cruz producers.
• ISTA (International Seed Testing Association)coreOthersISTA membership since 1996 and accreditation since 2004. INIAF Santa Cruz laboratory successfully passed 7 consecutive international audits for seed testing certification.
• OECD Seed SystemscoreOthersBolivia returned to OECD annual meetings representing South American countries, participating in standard updates for over 200 agricultural and horticultural species for international seed trade.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza): CATIE is already an INIAF partner (KoLFACI cacao initiative) and serves as a regional agricultural research and graduate education center for Central America. Comparable in scope of germplasm management and applied agricultural research.
• INIA Chile (Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias): Chile's national agricultural research institute provides R&D, germplasm management, and seed certification across similar Andean and temperate crops. Same mandate and public institution structure as INIAF, with comparable scope of services to farmers.
• EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária): Brazil's national agricultural research corporation is the most comparable peer: a public agricultural R&D institution combining scientific research, germplasm conservation, technology transfer, and seed certification across multiple commodities. EMBRAPA's scale exceeds INIAF's, but the mandate and structure are closely aligned.
• INIA Spain (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria): Spain's national agricultural and food research institute is a Spanish-language counterpart with similar public mandate, variety development, and certification functions. Comparable in breadth of crop coverage and institutional structure.
• AGROSAVIA (Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria): Colombia's agricultural research corporation recently visited INIAF for a planned MOU. Both operate as public agricultural R&D entities with technology transfer mandates, germplasm banks, and seed production capabilities in similar Latin American contexts.
• INTA Argentina (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria): Argentina's national agricultural technology institute conducts agricultural research, extension services, and seed certification across a similar South American geography. Both target smallholder and commercial producers with technology transfer programs.
• PROINPA (Fundación PROINPA): Bolivia-based agricultural research foundation that partners with INIAF on the Raíces Agroecológicas project. Comparable in working on Andean crop genetic resources, participatory breeding, and sustainable seed systems in Bolivia.
• INIA Uruguay (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria): Uruguay's national agricultural research institute shares the structure of a public R&D entity with seed certification, technology transfer, and variety development. Regionally comparable in scale and mandate.
• INIFAP (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias): Mexico's national agricultural, livestock, and forestry research institute has a near-identical mandate to INIAF, covering crops, livestock, and forestry R&D. Both are public institutions with extensive national networks and extension services.

Regional players

• ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research): ICAR is the world's largest national agricultural research system and an active INIAF partner. While operating in a vastly different geography, ICAR provides a peer benchmark for the scale and structure of a national agricultural research network with germplasm and seed programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/INIAF-MDRyT-61557919702922
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iniaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal