Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture

What Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture does

The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development is a non-profit, university-based international development organization operating under the Texas A&M University System. Headquartered in College Station, Texas, it implements applied agricultural research, extension, training, and policy programs targeting small-holder farmers, partner-country governments, students, and universities across 54 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia/Eurasia, and Latin America/the Caribbean. Its program portfolio includes the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation (ILSSI), the Center for Coffee Research and Education, the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), the Junior Master Gardener curriculum, the SPS Policy Framework for Africa, and the Women's Scholarship Endowment for Afghan women. The institute is named for Dr. Norman Borlaug, the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and 'Father of the Green Revolution' who founded the predecessor Office of International Agriculture Programs at Texas A&M in 1984.

The institute generates revenue exclusively through government development grants and contracts (primarily from USAID and USDA-FAS) and charitable donations routed through the Texas A&M Foundation; it sells no commercial products or services. Project funding has exceeded $139M over the last several years, with major individual awards including a $50M USAID grant for the Afghan Women's Scholarship Endowment, a $22.5M USAID award for ILSSI, and a $3.1M USDA contract for Food for Progress monitoring and evaluation. The go-to-market motion is sales-led competitive bidding on federal development contracts, supported by three regional implementation teams and partnerships with implementing NGOs (Mercy Corps, AgriCorps, Humanitas Global), multilateral institutions (UN FAO, African Union Commission, ILRI, CIMMYT), and Texas A&M's broader research and Extension network. The institute's competitive position rests on the Borlaug brand, privileged access to the Texas A&M System, and a senior leadership bench that includes a former USDA Undersecretary and a former U.S. Ambassador.

Name

Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture

Legal name

Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development

Website

https://borlaug.tamu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development is a Texas A&M System non-profit that implements applied agricultural research, training, and policy programs in 54 developing countries, funded almost entirely by USAID, USDA, and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Administration of General Economic Programs (92611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Food Security, Agriculture & Nutrition Aid Programs (BPADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Social & Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) for Nutrition (BPADAJAK)

Keywords

• International agricultural development
• Food security programs
• Agricultural research services
• Capacity building training
• Agricultural extension services

Headquarters

HQ city

College Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Development Grants and Contracts: Primary revenue source from USAID, USDA, and other federal government agencies funding international agricultural development projects. Revenue is project-based, competitive, and varies by contract cycle.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The institute accepts donations through the Texas A&M Foundation to support agricultural innovation, food security, and sustainable development programs worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Borlaug Institute is a non-profit, university-based international development organization under the Texas A&M University System that develops, coordinates, and leads agricultural development, food security, and educational programs in 54+ countries. It delivers applied agricultural research, technical assistance, fellowship and training programs, and policy support to small-holder farmers, partner country governments, and global development donors such as USAID and USDA.

Product overview

The Borlaug Institute operates as a university-based organization under the Texas A&M University System that implements international agricultural development programs. Its portfolio consists of research-for-development programs (Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation, Center for Coffee Research and Education), fellowship and training programs (International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program, Office of International Training), youth education initiatives (Junior Master Gardener Program), and policy support programs (SPS Policy Framework for Africa). The institute also maintains a Digital Archive using Laserfiche technology. Rather than a unified software product, the Borlaug Institute offers a collection of distinct programmatic offerings focused on agricultural development, food security, and education across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI): Feed the Future research-for-development project focused on expanding farmer-led small scale irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Center for Coffee Research and Education
• Office of International Training (OIT)
• International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP)
• Women's Scholarship Endowment (WSE)

Products and services

• Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) A Feed the Future research-for-development project that aims to expand farmer-led, small scale irrigation in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania. Sustainable, profitable, and gender-sensitive irrigation contributes to agricultural growth, resilient food systems, and better nutrition and health.
• Center for Coffee Research and Education Collaborates with coffee farmers and industry partners to find sustainable solutions that enable the coffee supply and coffee farmers to thrive, addressing threats from climate change, diseases, pests, low crop yields, and barriers to quality.
• International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP) Founded in partnership with AgriCorps and hosted at the Borlaug Institute. Trains and supports fellows to work with teachers and community members in developing countries to implement school-based agricultural education (SBAE) and establish youth leadership clubs.
• Junior Master Gardener Program in Kyrgyzstan Implemented the 'Learn, Grow, Eat and Go!' school gardening curriculum in Kyrgyz schools in partnership with JMG and Mercy Corps, funded by USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Policy Framework for Africa Supports the African Union Commission to advance international SPS measures within AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities, helping align with Codex Alimentarius, OIE, and IPPC standards.
• Food for Progress Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainability Brings Texas A&M University expertise to bear on evaluation of USDA's Learning Agenda for Food for Progress projects, including structured analysis, econometric analysis, and systematic reviews of priority topics.
• Office of International Training The Borlaug Institute's preeminent international agricultural training program, offering training, capacity building, and curriculum delivery across multiple regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Implemented projects in 54 countries with over $139M in project funding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Mercy CorpsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in the Junior Master Gardener program in Kyrgyzstan, implemented under the USDA-funded McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Mercy Corps contributed to program implementation in Kyrgyz schools.
• Humanitas GlobalmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022In-country partner for IAEFP Guatemala program, helping select and support communities where fellows are placed to implement school-based agricultural education.
• AgriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IAEFP is founded in partnership with AgriCorps, leveraging their established training curriculum manual based on integration of four components: interior formation, teaching pedagogy, cultural awareness, and agricultural enhancement. AgriCorps provides the foundational training framework used by fellows deployed to Ghana and Guatemala.
• African Union CommissionmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019The SPS Policy Framework for Africa project supports the African Union Commission's Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (AUC-DARBE) to advance international SPS measures within AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities.
• Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ILSSI is part of the U.S. Government's Feed the Future Initiative, working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania to expand farmer-led small-scale irrigation. Established at the Borlaug Institute through USAID support.
• Texas A&M AgriLife (Texas A&M University System)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006The Borlaug Institute is a university-based organization under the Texas A&M University System. It leverages the elite expertise and vast resources of the Texas A&M System, including a network spanning 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus. Texas A&M AgriLife has an agricultural research and/or Extension presence in every Texas county and climate zone.
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Borlaug Institute coordinates Texas A&M System's strategic programs supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), contributing to international agricultural development initiatives.
• International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership through Dr. Borlaug's work. CIMMYT houses Dr. Borlaug's research records and continues work on wheat improvement and agricultural development. The Borlaug Institute's legacy connects directly to CIMMYT's mission.
• Sasakawa Africa AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinuation of Dr. Borlaug's work with the Sasakawa Africa Association, which was established in 1986 to bring a Green Revolution to Africa similar to the Asian success sparked by Dr. Borlaug's research.
• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Elsa Murano serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of ILRI, which is part of the CGIAR System of research centers. The institutes collaborate on livestock and food security research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chemonics International: A large private international development firm implementing USAID agriculture, economic growth, and food security programs. Comparable as a prime contractor competing for many of the same donor awards the Borlaug Institute pursues.
• Winrock International: A nonprofit that implements agricultural, economic, and food security development programs globally, including USAID Feed the Future and other donor-funded projects. Overlaps significantly with the Borlaug Institute's mandate and donor base.
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research: The Borlaug Institute's parent research and extension arm within the same Texas A&M System. It is the most directly comparable domestic peer because it shares infrastructure, faculty, and donor relationships, while operating across a much broader agricultural research and extension mandate.

Direct peers

• Purdue University International Programs in Agriculture: Purdue's hub for international agricultural development, with a similar model of donor-funded research, training, and capacity building in partner countries. A direct competitor for USAID/USDA agricultural development contracts.
• ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute): Borlaug Institute Director Dr. Elsa Murano chairs the ILRI Board of Trustees. ILRI is directly comparable as a CGIAR livestock and food-security research center operating across developing countries with overlapping thematic and donor scope.
• Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: A peer Land-Grant institution running international agriculture and food security programming in developing countries. Directly comparable in model (university-anchored, donor-funded, applied research and extension).
• CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center): A CGIAR research center founded by Dr. Norman Borlaug that continues his wheat and maize improvement work. Highly comparable because of shared Borlaug legacy, similar focus on smallholder productivity in developing countries, and overlapping donor and partner networks.
• IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute): A CGIAR center providing research-based policy solutions to reduce hunger and poverty. Comparable as a research-driven international food security organization competing for similar donor funding and engaging the same governments.
• UC Davis Global Affairs: Another major Land-Grant university engaged in international agricultural development and food security research. Competes with the Borlaug Institute for similar USAID/USDA awards and hosts complementary innovation labs.
• Michigan State University Global Programs: A peer Land-Grant university implementing USAID Feed the Future innovation labs and capacity-building programs. Highly comparable as a direct competitor for the same US-government agricultural development contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BorlaugTAMU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCava5ac3Xny6ZCjNCvUEfmg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BorlaugTAMU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/borlaug-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/borlaug_tamu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture