The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology -ICIPE- was established in 1970 as an advanced research institute amids growing global concern about the misuse and overuse of synthetic pesticides. ICIPE was registered as an inter-governmental organisations in 1986, and governance is through a 16-members International Governing Council. Today ICIPE continues to follow its original mandate of developing technologies to alleviate world poverty and to ensure food security and good health for the peoples of the tropics through management and control of both harmful and useful arthropds. The Centre's activities focus on improving and promoting the "4H's"-Human, animal, plant and environmental health-by interdisciplinary teams of scientist working in insect populations ecology and ecosystem science, behavioural and chemical ecology, molecular biology and biotechnology, and social scoiences. Research support is provided by biomathematics, biosystematics, animal rearing and quarantine units, and information services and technology.
Major research projects include those on Malaria Vectors, Livestock Ticks, Tsetse, Food and Perennial Crop Pests (especially of maize, sorghum, cowpea, banana; agroforestry, storage pests), IPM of Horticultural Crops (vegetables, fruits and flowers), Locust and Migratory Pests, Arthropods Biodiversity, Agrosystems Biodiversity, Commercial Insects (bees and domestic and wild silkmoths), and Social Sciences. Training in Insect Sciences and Integrated pest and vector management (IPVM) is offered from farmer level to Ph D level, in collaboration with universities in Africa and beyond. Opportunities also exist for intership and postdoctoral attachments, as well as for visiting scientist. ICIPE currently collaborate with more than 80 other institutions, governments and organisations around the world in areas relevant to tropical insect science for development.
Due to its broader mandate encompassing health and environmental as well as agriculture, ICIPE has remained outside (although closely linked to) the CGIAR system, whose work is primarily commodity-oriented. Interested donors judiciously established a sponsoring Group (SGI) in 1980 to help guarantee scientific excellence and funding. Leading the Centre in its second quarter-century is Hans R.Herren, winner of the 1995 World Food Prize. The deputy Director General, Research is Dr. Akke van der Zipp; Director of International Cooperation and Capacity Building, Dr. Mudiumbula T. Futa; Director of Administration, Ms Tina Kuklenski. The 380-strong staff originate from 20 countries.
ICIPE provides scientific service to collaborators and other clients, including analytical laboratory services, bioassays, biostatistics, arthropd mass rearing, etc. and scholarly publishing and editorial services. The ICIPE Science Press publishes the international journal of tropical insect science, Insect Science and its Application, now in its 18th volume, as well as other commissioned work. The ICIPE Technopark is being designed to produce environmentally benign pest control products resulting from the Centre's R & D on a Pilot scale in partnership with the private sector, such as Bt formulations, non-chemical traps for tsetse, banana weevils, stemborers, etc., insect pathogens, neem and other botanical agent, etc. Grainage for silkworms and improved queens for apiculture will also be provided, as well as training in insect-based microenterprise development.
ICIPE operates from its modern headquarter and main research facility in Kasarany, on the outskirts of Nairobi, and from two major research stations at Mbita Point, on the shores of Lake Vistoria, and from Muhaka, on the Indian Ocean coast. Six others field sites in others of Kenya's varied agroecologies bring the total to about 450 hectares, the Centres carries on field projects in Ethiopia, the Sudan, Tanzania, and several others countries in eastern and southern Africa.