Illustration. © Delphine Guard-Lavastre, CIRAD

CIRAD in a nutshell

CIRAD is the French agricultural research and cooperation organization working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions.

CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) works with its partners to build knowledge and solutions and invent resilient farming systems for a more sustainable, inclusive world. It mobilizes science, innovation and training in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its expertise supports the entire range of stakeholders, from producers to public policymakers, to foster biodiversity protection, agroecological transitions, food system sustainability, health (of plants, animals and ecosystems), sustainable development of rural territories, and their resilience to climate change.

CIRAD was founded in 1984 as a public establishment (EPIC), following a merger of French tropical agricultural research organizations, and is under the joint authority of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. As such, it supports French science diplomacy operations.

CIRAD works in some fifty countries on every continent, thanks to the expertise of its 1800 staff members, including 1240 scientists, backed by a global network of some 200 partners.