INSTITUT DE L'ELEVAGE

Their core work

IDELE is France's applied research and technical institute for livestock farming, providing scientific support to cattle, sheep, and goat producers across the country. They specialize in translating research into practical on-farm tools — from genomic breeding strategies and feed efficiency optimization to animal welfare assessment and sustainability benchmarking. Their work bridges the gap between academic genetics/nutrition research and the daily decisions made by farmers and advisors, with a strong emphasis on multi-actor knowledge exchange networks that spread best practices across European farming communities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2019), IDELE focused on genomic selection, feed efficiency, animal resilience, and building innovation networks — projects like GenTORE, SMARTER, and iSAGE reflect a genetics-and-productivity orientation. From 2020 onward, the emphasis shifted clearly toward sustainability assessment, animal welfare, cost-benefit analysis, and multi-actor knowledge exchange, visible in coordinated projects like EuroSheep and R4D. A newer thread around digital technologies (IoT, blockchain, precision farming) has also emerged, signaling a move toward data-driven livestock management.

IDELE is evolving from a genetics-focused livestock institute toward an integrated sustainability and digital farming advisory role, making them an ideal partner for projects combining animal welfare metrics with precision technology.

How they like to work

IDELE primarily operates as a participant or third-party expert (31 of 34 projects), coordinating only when the topic is squarely in their core domain — sheep and dairy networks (SheepNet, EuroSheep, R4D). With 433 unique partners across 43 countries, they function as a well-connected hub in European agricultural research, comfortable in both large multi-actor consortia (CSA/RIA with 15+ partners) and focused innovation actions. Their heavy third-party involvement (12 projects) suggests they are frequently brought in as a trusted technical contributor by lead partners who value their on-the-ground livestock expertise.

IDELE has collaborated with 433 unique partners across 43 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected livestock research organizations in Europe. Their network spans from Western European agricultural powerhouses to Mediterranean and Eastern European farming communities.

What sets them apart

IDELE occupies a rare position as both a research-grade scientific institute and a practitioner-facing advisory body — they can run genomic analyses and also design farmer training networks. Unlike university labs that publish papers or consultancies that advise from a distance, IDELE embeds directly in livestock value chains from genetics to farm management to market. For consortium builders, they bring France's largest livestock sector expertise combined with a proven track record of running multi-actor thematic networks that actually reach farmers.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMARTER
  Highest single-project funding (EUR 482,000) and their flagship small ruminant genomics effort, combining feed efficiency, resilience, and welfare in one integrated breeding program.
• EuroSheep
  Coordinated by IDELE, this thematic network on sheep health and nutrition exemplifies their role as the go-to organizer for European small ruminant knowledge exchange.
• CATTLECHAIN 4.0
  Marks IDELE's entry into blockchain, IoT, and big data for cattle traceability — a significant step beyond their traditional genetics and advisory work.