ICROFS - International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems

What ICROFS - International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems does

ICROFS (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems) is a Danish non-profit research coordination organisation, founded in 2008 and operating as a centre within Aarhus University. Its primary function is to manage the Organic RDD (Research and Development) funding programmes on behalf of the Danish government, disbursing public research grants — most recently a DKK 50.5 million pool under Organic RDD 12 (January 2026) and DKK 55 million under Organic RDD 11 (January 2025) — to eligible projects in organic food and farming. Beyond grant administration, ICROFS maintains and coordinates two research infrastructure platforms: Organic Eprints (orgprints.org), an international open access archive for scholarly papers and projects in organic food and farming research, and Organic Farm Knowledge (organic-farmknowledge.org), a European database that exchanges practical knowledge among farmers, farm advisers, and scientists.

The organisation serves three primary user communities: academic researchers and scientists seeking funding and publication venues, organic farmers needing access to research-based practical guidance, and farm advisers supporting farmer clients in organic production. As a publicly funded entity, ICROFS does not charge for its services and has no commercial revenue model; instead, its operational budget flows from Danish public research reserves channelled through Aarhus University. Distribution of services is entirely digital and self-serve via the two platforms, supplemented by website news, publications, and conference activity. The 18-person organisation also engages in European-level research policy initiatives, notably OrganicTargets4EU (supporting the EU target of 25% organic farmland) and ROADMAP 2030 (Action Plan for 2025-2026 on structural transformation of organic food and farming R&I).

Name

ICROFS - International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems

Legal name

ICROFS - International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems

Website

https://icrofs.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICROFS is a Danish non-profit research coordination centre within Aarhus University that manages the Organic RDD public funding programmes and maintains the Organic Eprints archive and Organic Farm Knowledge database, serving organic food and farming researchers, farmers, and advisers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Coordination Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAI

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPADAEAG

Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Organic food research
• Agricultural research funding
• Knowledge exchange platform
• Open access archive
• Organic farming research

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarhus

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICROFS coordinates and funds research in organic food and farming systems, primarily by managing Denmark's Organic RDD (Research and Development) funding programmes (e.g., DKK 50.5 million Organic RDD 12, DKK 55 million Organic RDD 11). It also operates two key knowledge infrastructure platforms: Organic Eprints, an international open-access archive for organic food and farming research papers and projects, and Organic Farm Knowledge, a European database facilitating practical knowledge exchange among farmers, farm advisers, and scientists.

Product overview

ICROFS (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems) is a research funding and coordination organization that does not operate a unified software product platform. Its primary offerings consist of research funding programs (Organic RDD) and two knowledge-sharing services: Organic Eprints (an open access archive for organic research publications) and Organic Farm Knowledge (a practical knowledge exchange database for farmers, advisors, and scientists). These services operate as standalone resources rather than as an integrated platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Organic Eprints: An international open access archive for papers and projects related to research in organic food and farming
• Organic Farm Knowledge

Products and services

• Organic RDD Research Funding Programme Danish government-backed research and development funding programme for organic food and farming projects; current round (Organic RDD 12) offers DKK 50.5 million, with previous round (Organic RDD 11) offering DKK 55 million. Available to eligible researchers and research institutions conducting projects in organic food and farming.
• Organic Eprints Archive International open-access archive for papers and projects related to research in organic food and farming. Serves as a global repository for scholarly publications in the organic research domain, used by researchers, scientists, and academics worldwide.
• Organic Farm Knowledge Platform International database facilitating the exchange of practical knowledge within organic farming among farmers, farm advisers, and scientists across Europe. Provides practitioner-oriented resources and tools for organic farming operations.

Segments3 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Aarhus UniversitycoreOthersICROFS is organizationally part of Aarhus University, serving as the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems. The organization operates under the university's administrative and institutional framework while focusing on organic food systems research coordination.
• OrganicTargets4EUmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research initiative working across countries and sectors to boost organic farming, support farmers, and shape policy to help meet the target of 25% organic farmland. ICROFS participates in and supports this EU-wide strategic effort.
• ROADMAP 2030majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic initiative for boosting organic food and farming through structural and thematic transformation of research and innovation initiatives. ICROFS is involved in the Action Plan for 2025-2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• INRAE: INRAE is the French national research institute for agriculture, food and the environment. Comparable as a publicly funded agricultural research institution, though far broader in mandate than ICROFS's organic focus.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN: FAO is the UN agency coordinating international agricultural research, policy, and food security initiatives. Comparable as an international coordinating body for agricultural research and knowledge dissemination, though at vastly greater scale and remit.
• Wageningen University & Research: Wageningen is a leading global agricultural research university with significant organic and sustainable farming programs. Like ICROFS, it bridges research and farmer-facing knowledge transfer, but operates at much larger scale and broader agricultural scope.
• European Union Joint Research Centre (JRC): The JRC is the EU's in-house science service supporting agricultural policy with research and data. Comparable to ICROFS as a research-based knowledge provider for sustainable agriculture policy at the European level.

Direct peers

• Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF): OFRF is a US-based non-profit that funds organic farming research and disseminates findings to farmers and researchers. ICROFS and OFRF share a research-funding-plus-knowledge-dissemination model focused on organic food and farming systems.
• IFOAM Organics International: IFOAM Organics International is the global umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement, convening stakeholders across research, advocacy, and policy. Comparable to ICROFS as a coordinating institution that channels knowledge and standards across the organic sector, though with a broader advocacy mandate.
• Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL): FiBL is the world's leading organic agriculture research institute, coordinating organic farming research, advisory work, and training across Europe. It is the most directly comparable peer to ICROFS in terms of organic food systems research coordination and applied knowledge transfer to farmers.

Emerging players

• Soil Association: The Soil Association is a UK-based charity working on organic farming standards, certification, and knowledge exchange. It overlaps with ICROFS on the organic farming knowledge and advocacy dimension, though more focused on certification and consumer-facing work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icrofs---international-centre-for-research-in-organic-food-systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ICROFS - International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems