INRA led projects of targeted research for a sustainable agriculture, a safeguarded environment and a healthy and high quality food. Based on the number of publications in agricultural sciences/crops and animal sciences, INRA was the first institute for agricultural research in Europe, and the second in the world.[2] It belonged to the top 1% most cited research institutes.[2]
INRA was a research institute with 1,840 researchers, 1,756 research engineers and 4,694 lab workers/field workers/administrative staff.
In addition, 510 PhD students were trained, and 2,552 interns were employed every year.[2]
INRA was composed of 13 scientific departments:
Environment and Agronomy
Biology and crop breeding
Plant health and environment
Ecology of forests, meadows and aquatic environments
Animal genetics
Animal physiology and animal production systems
Animal health
Characterization and processing of agricultural products
Microbiology and food processing
Human nutrition
Sciences for action and development
Social sciences, agriculture and food, territories and environment
Applied mathematics and computer sciences
Moreover, INRA provided tools and support to the scientific community: databases, environmental research observatories, genetic resources centers, experimental platforms, etc.
The past and current directors of INRA include:[4][5]
In 2014, INRA had 17 regional centres in France, including in the French overseas territories. Most laboratories and facilities located in Paris region are to be moved to the Paris-Saclayresearch-intensive cluster.[9]
INRA develops partnerships with:
universities and French top schools in agricultural/veterinary sciences
French research institutes of fundamental and targeted research. Notably, CNRS and INSERM are INRA first two partners.[10]
the main agricultural research institutes in the world (Rothamsted Research, Wageningen University and Research Centre, etc.). It has scientific collaborations and exchanges with many countries in Europe, America and Asia (see e.g. collaborations map in[11]). Nearly half of the publications are co-authored by foreign scientists.[2]
INRA maintained a collection of vines at Domaine de Vassal, in Marseillan near Sète, a site where phylloxera cannot survive.[12]Gouais blanc can be found there.
Researches on vine cultivation are conducted in Pech Rouge estate, in Gruissan.[13] INRA also owns the Château Couhins wine-producing estate near Bordeaux. Many wine grapes have been created at INRA stations including Ederena.[14]
INRA was a member of the consortium for the genome sequencing of Vitis vinifera in 2007.
^J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours pg 322, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN978-1-846-14446-2