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INRA: for the Earth and for Man

INRA: for the Earth and for Man

Public mission oriented research•Sustainable agriculture•Nutrition and food safety•Environment and rural areas

A L I M E N T A T I O N

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INRA: for the Earth and for Man

A general presentation•Portrait•Scientific strategy•Resources and organisation

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1. Portrait

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1. Portrait

• Set up in 1946• A public research organisation dedicated to:

– Agriculture– Food, food safety and human nutrition– Environment and rural development

• A research performing organisation– 1800 researchers and 2360 engineers– A budget of 680 M€ for 2006

• A research funding organisation– Nearly 50 M€ in 2005

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1. Portrait

In term of Scientific publications

• Second organisation worldwide for production of science (Web of science, ISI JCR, ESI) for agricultural sciences and plant and animal sciences

• 8th in the world for microbiology

• 24th in the world for environment/ecology

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1. Portrait

1946/1960 INRA was one of the principal actors in the modernisation of farming.

1960/1980 Through its research and innovation, INRA contributedto the development of the French agrifood sector.

1980/2000 The Institute integrated new and fundamental technologiesin the life sciences (biotechnologies, molecular biology,genetic engineering…) in response to new environmentaland consumer demands.

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1. Portrait

Since 2001 INRA is taking up the scientific challenges of the life sciences, helping to accomplish profound changes in farming, responding to new demands from society (sustainability, food safety and quality, ethics, science-society debate, etc.)

. by strengthening its resources in three major fields: 1. The development of sustainable agriculture2. Nutrition and its effects on human health3. The environment and regional development

.by integrating them in the construction of the European Research Area .by actively participating in the internationalisation of science

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1. Portrait

Missions 

1. To produce and disseminate scientific knowledge and innovations

2. To contribute to training in and through research, to the dissemination of scientific culture and to the science/society debate

3. Through its expertise, to participate in informing the decisions made by public and private sector actors

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2. Scientific strategy

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2. Scientific strategy

A new context• New scientific challenges

– High throughput approaches– Modelling at different scales– System biology

• New socio economic conditions– CAP and WTO– Evolution of rural areas

• New questions from the society• New research organisation, European Research

Area

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2. Scientific strategy

Six strategic priorities• Environment and rural areas• Nutrition and human health• Diversifying products and their uses, improving

their competitiveness• Basic research• Sustainable agricultural production systems• Public policies, strategy and organisation of

actors

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2. Scientific strategy

B : 15%

C : 16%

D : 16%

F : 6%

E : 26%

A : 21%

Environement and rural areas

Nutrition and human health

Diversifying products and their uses, improving theircompetitiveness

Basic research

Sustainable agricultural production systems

Public policies, strategy and organisation of actors

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2. Scientific strategy

An enhanced partnership• Building a more efficient relation with the

stakeholders• Strengthening the links with higher education and

other research institutions• Reshaping the relationship with rural

development organisations• Improving technology transfer and access to

knowledge

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2. Scientific strategy

European partnerships and international cooperation

• European commitment as the highest priority

• A special interest for long term cooperation with China, India, Brazil and the Mediterranean basin

• A stronger cooperation with other scientific organisation

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3. Resources and organisation

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3. Resources and organisation

• A total budget of 680 M€ for 2006– 577 M€ funded by the government– 103 M€ on contracts

• 1800 scientists, 2270 research assistants and 4230 technical staff on permanent positions

• 1000 scientists coming from partner organisations

• 1200 scientists and research assistants on time limited contracts

• 1600 PhD students• 1000 foreign junior scientists on doctoral or post

doctoral fellowships

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3. Resources and organisation

• 21 regional centres• 260 research units

(including 140 joint units with other research institutions)

• 80 experimental units

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3. Resources and organisation

• 5 scientific directorates– Animal and animal products– Plant and plant products– Human nutrition and food safety– Environment, cultivated and natural

ecosystems– Social sciences

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3. Resources and organisation

• 14 research departments• 5 national programmes in coordination

with the National Research Agency (ANR)– Animal genomics– Plant genomics– Food and nutrition– Agriculture and sustainable

development– GMO

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3. Resources and organisation

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INRA: for the Earth and for Man

Thank you for your attention