Established in 1975, the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) is an institution of the Government of Kerala under its Science and Technology Department. The Institute is dedicated to research in tropical forestry, environment and biodiversity conservation. In 2003, when the State owned R & D institutions were re-organized to constitute the Kerala State Council for Science and Technology (KSCSTE), KFRI also became part of the latter. The Institute is managed by a Management Committee (MC) chaired by the Director. The Research Council (RC) comprising eminent scientists of the country oversees and assists in developing appropriate research policies; it also monitors the quality of research undertaken by the Institute.

The vision of KFRI is to function as a Center of Excellence in tropical forestry and to provide scientific support to the State and its people on matters related to forestry, with particular emphasis on conservation, sustainable utilization and scientific management of natural resources. In order to fulfill this vision the Institute conducts multidisciplinary research, provides technical advice to practical problems, and disseminates information to the various stakeholders, end users and the public.

The Main Campus of KFRI is situated at Peechi, a sylvan location situated 20 km east of Thrissur. It is well connected by rail and road. Nearest Airports are Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery (COK, 65 km from Peechi) and the Coimbatore Airport (CJB, 115 km from Peechi) in Tamil Nadu. Â The Institute also has a Subcenter at Nilambur, 140 km north of Peechi, a Field Research Station at Velupadam, 36 km south of Peechi and two field units situated at Kottappara, 90 km south of Peechi, and Devikulam, located 195 km south from Peechi.

Forestry research in the Institute embraces nine broad areas, each of which is organized into a Programme Division. In turn, each Programme Division is composed of two or more Departments, being further specializations within the Division.

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