A new partnership between Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and ADAS is promising farmers greater access to the latest independent advice backed by world-leading research and innovation.
Running alongside their existing independent services, SRUC and ADAS will pool their impact-orientated research expertise to offer what they describe as “a truly national agricultural and rural knowledge service for farmers, growers and all agricultural businesses.”
Through the joint venture, new and existing partners will be able to tap into the experts in ADAS and SRUC – which includes SAC Consulting – and their specialist consultancy and diagnostic services, as well as education and training courses. The partnership will also be the vehicle for more collaborative research.
The joint venture will operate in fields such as agriculture and climate change; soil health; synthesis of evidence to support policy development; data; ecological modelling and genomics; sustainable diets and food production systems; animal welfare; and sustainable food supply.
Among the partnership’s priorities will be to launch a new digital platform that will provide a shop window to an independent source of knowledge, expertise, tools and services for the rural and food sectors. This project will be announced in the spring of 2020.
ADAS has 400 staff delivering in 60 specialist subjects across England and Wales. SRUC, through SAC Consulting, has 24 offices across Scotland and northern England and offers a range of specialisms in soil nutrition, livestock and agronomy, branding and marketing of food products and analytical testing.
Colin MacEwan, director of commercialisation and innovation, said: “The combined expertise of both ADAS and SRUC creates an extraordinary wealth of knowledge that will be of vital importance to the future of our food and farming industry. We are excited about the opportunity that this new and dynamic partnership will bring to support future farming and food systems.”
Jackie Evans, managing director at ADAS Agriculture and Land Management, added: “The venture will combine and enhance the strengths of both organisations, for the benefit of rural businesses. Both offer end-to-end services, with a wide array of industry-relevant skills and expertise, so this will be a comprehensive offering. We are excited to see where the venture takes us and welcome relevant enquiries from the rural and agricultural sectors.”
