Fera Science, formerly the Food and Environment Research Agency, is a UK research organisation. It is a joint private/public sector venture between
Bridgepoint Group and the UK Government's
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for environmental quality, environmenta ...
(Defra).
History
The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) was formed in 2009 by merging the
Central Science Laboratory
The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) was an executive agency of the UK government branch, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It is now part of the Food and Environment Research Agency, which is in turn part of DEFRA ...
(CSL) at Sand Hutton, the Plant Health Division (PHD) /
Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) in York, the
Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division (PVS) in Cambridge and the
UK Government Decontamination Service at
MoD Stafford
Ministry of Defence Stafford otherwise known as MOD Stafford, Stafford Station or Beacon Barracks is a Ministry of Defence site in Stafford, in England. It was formerly Royal Air Force Stafford or more simply RAF Stafford, a non-flying Royal Air ...
. FERA was established to support and develop a sustainable food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.
In 2015, Fera Science was created as an independent entity from the UK government as a joint venture between DEFRA (25%) and
Capita
Capita plc is an international business process outsourcing and professional services company headquartered in London. It is the largest business process outsourcing and professional services company in the United Kingdom, with an overall ma ...
(75%). The Plant Health Inspectorate, Plant Varieties and Seeds, the National Bee Unit and the GM Inspectorate were split off from Fera and became part of the
Animal and Plant Health Agency
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), formerly known as the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of the United Kingdom.
It was f ...
.
In January 2024, Capita's 75% stake in Fera Science was acquired by
Bridgepoint Group for £62m.
Function
Fera specialises in the sciences underpinning
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
for sustainable
crop
A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, Fiber, fibre, or fuel.
When plants of the same spe ...
production,
environmental management
Environmental resource management or environmental management is the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. It is not, as the phrase might suggest, the management of the environment itself. Environment ...
and
conservation and in
food safety
Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, food processing, preparation, and food storage, storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a simi ...
and quality. Fera has statutory responsibilities for delivering policy and inspectorate functions in relation to Plant Health, Bee Health and Plant Varieties and Seeds. Fera is part of the UK capability to respond to, and recover from, emergency situations, including accidental or deliberate release of hazardous materials.
Structure
It also houses FAPAS (international food analysis proficiency testing services) and the
National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria.
See also
*
National Bee Unit
References
External links
Fera Science official site
The Food and Environment Research Agency official site
National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria official site
FAPAS official site
{{Defra (United Kingdom)
Government-owned companies of the United Kingdom
Science and technology in the United Kingdom
Agriculture in England
Organisations based in North Yorkshire
Government agencies established in 2009
Research institutes in North Yorkshire
Agricultural research institutes
2009 establishments in the United Kingdom
Scientific organizations established in 2009