Organic Research Centre joins ADAS to strengthen UK farming research and innovation

The Organic Research Centre (ORC), the UK’s foremost research authority on organic farming and low-input farming practices, has joined the agricultural and environmental consultancy ADAS, part of RSK Group.

Retaining the ORC brand, ORC will be a stand-alone business within the ADAS group of companies and will continue to be managed by current Chief Executive Officer Lucy MacLennan. The move of ORC research staff and ongoing ORC projects to ADAS will allow both organisations to benefit from shared resources and complementary applied research expertise.

RSK Group Chief Executive Officer Alan Ryder said: “RSK is proud of the significant contribution ADAS has made to the farming sector over the years, consistently responding to the challenges faced by this vital industry.”

ADAS Managing Director Jackie Evans said: “This move signals the start of an exciting new chapter for ORC and ADAS. ADAS has an excellent track record of delivering independent applied research to support sustainable, resilient and profitable farming systems.

“With ORC’s agroecological expertise now in-house, we can pool our knowledge to deliver complex, multifaceted agricultural projects and ensure we continue to deliver the best possible environmental outcomes. Our aim is to add to our portfolio of research and advice and to create a centre of excellence for organic agricultural research.

ORC Chief Executive Officer Lucy MacLennan said: “The move of ORC to ADAS not only safeguards the future of ORC and our work advocating organic and low-input farming principles but also means we can evolve and expand our research into new areas.

“ORC has a long and accomplished history, and we want to reassure our supporters that our strategic research aims remain the same as when we were founded: to protect the environment and to enhance biodiversity by means of independent applied organic research and to communicate our research findings widely so as to encourage change throughout the British agricultural sector.”

Prior to the move, ORC formed part of the Progressive Farming Trust charity, which also maintains the Agricology knowledge platform. The Progressive Farming Trust and Agricology will remain separate entities, and their activities will continue unchanged.

ORC Chairman Donald Peck added: “In ADAS, we are very pleased to have found a partner that both respects our history and shares our values. We are excited about the future of independent organic research and the opportunities this partnership will bring to continue this work while Progressive Farming Trust makes its own separate impact.”