KENYA FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Their core work

KEFRI is Kenya's national forestry research institute, conducting applied research on forest management, agroforestry systems, and sustainable land use across diverse Kenyan ecosystems. In EU research consortia, they contribute African field expertise on intercropping, plant diversity, and soil-based biological processes — particularly nitrogen fixation in mixed farming systems. Their presence in European projects typically serves as a non-European validation site for agroecological methods being tested for broad climatic and geographic applicability. As a government research body, they also connect European research outputs to land-use policy and practice in East Africa.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both of KEFRI's H2020 projects began in the same year (2017), so a true chronological shift is difficult to establish with confidence. Comparing the two projects, DIVERSify reflects core agroforestry territory — field-level plant diversity and intercropping — while TRUE moved toward systemic food security, legume nutrition, and nitrogen cycling. This suggests a broadening from ecosystem management toward food system sustainability, even if the timeline is compressed. The direction points toward an increasing role in projects linking sustainable farming practices with nutrition and food policy outcomes.

KEFRI appears to be expanding from field-level agroecology into broader food system sustainability topics, making them an increasingly relevant partner for projects connecting sustainable farming practices with nutrition outcomes and food security policy.

How they like to work

KEFRI consistently joins projects as a consortium participant rather than a coordinator, positioning them as a specialist contributor bringing African field data and agroforestry expertise to European-led initiatives. Both of their projects involved large multi-partner RIA consortia, meaning they are practiced at working within complex, multi-institutional teams with diverse national partners. Their 46 unique consortium partners across 17 countries — from just two projects — confirms they join well-connected, large-scale consortia rather than narrow bilateral arrangements.

KEFRI has connected with 46 unique consortium partners across 17 countries through just two projects, reflecting the broad reach of the large RIA consortia they joined. Their network almost certainly includes both European agricultural research institutions and other non-European partners brought in for comparative field data.

What sets them apart

KEFRI is one of very few East African national research institutes that have participated in H2020 agricultural consortia, giving them a rare position as a bridge between European research agendas and African agroecological realities. For European project coordinators, they offer access to tropical field conditions, practical intercropping and agroforestry data, and policy-connected research in a region where food security challenges are both acute and instructive. This makes them particularly valuable for projects requiring geographic diversity in field trials or impact validation beyond Europe.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TRUE
  KEFRI's largest funded project (EUR 92,500 EC contribution), TRUE tackled the transition to legume-based food systems across Europe, with KEFRI contributing on biological nitrogen fixation and food security from a non-European field perspective.
• DIVERSify
  A direct fit with KEFRI's core mandate, this project studied how diverse plant teams can improve ecosystem resilience and agricultural sustainability — bringing KEFRI's intercropping and agroforestry expertise into a European consortium context.