Titulo HTML
Who we are

The National Center National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA), integrated into the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) by the Royal Decree 202/2021, of March 30, by which certain public research bodies of the Spanish General Administration are reorganized., is a reference Institute in agri-food and forestry science and technology, at national and international level. Its objective is to support sustainable economic growth and the well-being of society, through research and innovation in the agricultural and forestry sectors.

Disculpe, el video no está disponible

Video corporativo

The scientific activity of INIA-CSIC is intense. In recent years, more than 400 SCI scientific articles, 180 dissemination articles and 40 books or book chapters are published annually. This activity has been the result of the participation in more than 200 competitive scientific projects, collaboration agreements, contracts with companies and commissions.

The sources of financing are diverse, but the National R&D&I Plan and the Horizon Europe Program are the main ones, although there is a intense collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food through several assignments.

One of the most important objectives of INIA-CSIC is to maintain and strengthen its role as coordinator of agricultural, food and forestry research at the international level, with special emphasis with Ibero-American countries.

INIA-CSIC represents Spain in different international forums whose objective is to obtain funds for research in certain priority lines. Thus, it is member of the executive committee of FONTAGRO in the Ibero-American area. In addition, INIA-CSIC acts as the Spanish focal point of the Global Research Alliance on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture (GRA). In this framework, INIA-CSIC maintains its work of coordinating the participation of Spain in different international initiatives, through the "Research Platform on Climate Change in Agriculture", in order to improve the efficiency in the use of the R&D&I resources in this matter.

In the European context, INIA-CSIC holds Spanish representation in the Permanent Committee for Agricultural Research (SCAR), which has the mandate to coordinate agricultural research in Europe. Likewise, INIA-CSIC participates in different European networks made up of regional or national financing agents from Member States, Associated States and other countries outside the EU such as Partnerships or PRIMA. In these networks, the formation of consortia between research groups from different countries is promoted.

Titulo HTML 2
INIA presentation brochure

Summary presentation of the National Institute for Agricultural Research and Technology in PDF format, ideal for printing.

Descargar

Titulo HTML 3
Mission, Vision and Values

The Mission allows us to become aware of the work of INIA-CSIC in the national R&D&I system and ultimately in the society. The Vision establishes the goals and objectives, broadly speaking, that we want to achieve. And finally, the Values define the way INIA-CSIC works to achieve its vision.

Mission

To generate and to transfer knowledge aimed at:

Addressing the challenges of the agriculture, livestock and forestry sectors: food demands, climate change, sustainability, globalization of markets and agricultural and environmental policies.
Contributing, through development and innovation, to the improvement in the competitiveness of companies in the Spanish agriculture, livestock and forestry sectors.
Supporting and advising Spanish administrations on agri-food and forestry issues.

Vision

To be a national and international reference organization in agri-food and
forestry science and technology to support sustainable economic growth and the well-being of society, through research and innovation based on the bioeconomy.
To be the coordinating body in Spain of oriented and public research, in the fields of agriculture, livestock and forestry

Values

Integrity, ethics and integration (including gender, cultural and functional diversity).
Scientific excellence.
Coordination and teamwork.
Professionalism.
Efficiency.
Service

Titulo HTML 4
Areas of activity

he activity carried out in INIA-CSIC focuses on high quality research aimed at solving challenges in the agricultural, food, forestry and bioeconomy sectors, promoting technological development and work with companies.

Forest Resources.
Animal Health.
Plant Protection.
Plant resources production and breeding.
Livestock production and breeding.
Sustainable production, evaluation and management.
Food production technology.

INIA's scientific-technical activity is carried out in the following Centers, Departments and Units:

Institute of Forestry Sciences (ICIFOR);
Animal Health Research Center (CISA);
Center for Plant Genetic Resources and Sustainable Agriculture (CRF);
Departments of Biotechnology, Plant Protection, Food Technology (which includes the Center for Food Quality in Soria), Environment and Agronomy, Animal Breeding (which includes the Iberian Pig R&D Center in Zafra) and Animal Reproduction;
Technical Directorate for Variety Evaluation and Laboratories and
Phytosanitary Products Unit

In addition, the Center for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP), a joint center with the Polytechnic University of Madrid, is accredited as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence.

Titulo HTML 5
History of INIA

In 1926, the National Institute of Agronomic and Forestry Research and Experiences (INIEAF) was set up with the objective of coordinating all the studies carried out in Spain in the areas of agronomy, forestry and livestock. However, the INIEAF had a short life, since in 1929 the Forestry Institute of Research and Experiences (IFIE) was set up. Its headquarters were established in a wing of the Alfonso XII Agricultural Institute in the University quarter of Madrid.

In 1931 the Spanish Forest Fauna Laboratory of Fish Farming and Ornithology was incorporated into IFIE. Since its facilities, laboratories and library were located in the University quarter, they were destroyed during the Spanish civil war. Once the war was over, the construction of a new building for the Institute on a plot donated by Spanish Heritage on Mount “El Pardo” (current location of INIA), was approved.

At the same time, in 1932 the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INIA) was set up with the objective of coordinating and making agronomic research and experimentation more effective. Among the assigned functions, the INIA was responsible for disseminating, through publications, the results of the work carried out by the agronomic research and experimentation centers that comprised it.

At the beginning, INIA depended on the General Directorate of Agriculture of the former Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Development. It was located in the agronomic area of the University quarter, where the ancient National Agronomic Institute had been before the civil war.

Regarding the livestock field, the General Directorate of Livestock and the Institute of Animal Biology were set up in 1931. It was structured into three large sections: Physio-zootechnics, Animal Pathology and Contrasting.

In 1952, the Board of Animal Biology was founded as an Autonomous Organization dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture. It was made up of the aforementioned services and the Institute of Artificial Insemination, which were given technical autonomy in their management and organization in accordance with the specificity of their functions. Its mission was to promote, guide and coordinate scientific and technical research for the conservation, promotion and improvement of the Spanish livestock. As a consequence of the creation of the Board of Trustees, the Institutes of Animal Biology and Artificial Insemination disappeared.

These three research institutions (IFIE, INIA and the Board of Animal Biology) have been closely linked to the university throughout history through the Technical Colleges of Agronomic Engineers and Forestry Engineers of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the vet school of the Complutense University of Madrid.

In 1971, as a result of the merger of the National Institute of Agronomic Research, the Forestry Institute of Research and Experiences and the Board of Animal Biology, the National Institute of Agrarian Research (INIA) was set up and assigned to the Ministry of Agriculture (later Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food).

In 1991, INIA was renamed as the National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, expanding its scope of action and its lines of research. In 2000, together with other Public Research Organizations, was assigned to the former Ministry of Science and Technology, and in 2004 to the former Ministry of Education and Science. In 2008 it was assigned to the Ministry of Science and Innovation as a Public Research Organization responsible for the coordination of R&D&I in the agrifood sector at national level, as well as for the execution of research projects in close collaboration with the corresponding socioeconomic sectors.

Subsequently, in accordance with Act 40/2015 on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, INIA became an autonomous body of the General State Administration with the name of "National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, O.A., M.P."

Nowdays, according to Royal Decree 202/2021, of March 30, which reorganizes certain public research organizations of the General State Administration and modifies Royal Decree 1730/2007, of December 21, which creates the State Agency Spanish National Research Council and approves its Statute, and Royal Decree 404/2020, of February 25, which develops the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, INIA is integrated into the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

Therefore, the public research organization INIA, with a differentiated legal personality, has been extinguished with the entry into force of the mentioned royal decree, creating the National Center National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA).

In accordance with article 9.1 of said Royal Decree, CSIC, through the National Center INIA, will guarantee the carrying out of said Center's own research activities as well as the provision of scientific and technical support in the agri-food field to the agrarian policy both from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, supporting them in the evaluation of environmental risks derived from both chemical and biological agents, including genetically modified organisms.