ADAS is a UK-based independent agricultural and environmental consultancy and provider of

rural development Rural development is the process of improving the quality life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of l ...

and policy advice. ADAS provides independent science-based research, consultancy and contracting services to a wide range of organisations in both the private and public sectors, throughout the UK and internationally.

History

The UK's National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS) was established in 1946 as the advisory and research arm of the

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

(MAFF) because of the harsh

food rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

that continued in the UK into the early 1950s.

Plant pathology Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungus, fung ...

entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

and other specialist advisers throughout the country advised farmers and growers how to maximise their output. The NAAS was rebranded as ADAS in 1971. In 1992, ADAS became an Executive Agency of MAFF until the business was privatised in 1997. A collection of drainage tiles used in underground water management were donated to

The Museum of English Rural Life The Museum of English Rural Life, also known as The MERL, is a museum, library and archive dedicated to recording the changing face of farming and the countryside in England. The museum is run by the University of Reading, and is situated in Red ...

in 1994. In 2016 the business, operating assets and employees of ADAS were acquired by environmental consultancy, RSK.

Company Info

ADAS operates from 16 principal sites throughout the UK. The business employs 300 staff on permanent or fixed-term contracts and calls on a further 250 on contingent terms. ADAS has a large number of customers in the UK and abroad. These range from small rural enterprises to major corporations, government departments, and agencies. ''Farmer's Voice'' is an annual farming survey (held up till 2006 at least)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adas (Company) Companies based in Wolverhampton British companies established in 1946 Privatised executive agencies of the United Kingdom government 1946 establishments in England Consulting firms established in 1946 Agriculture companies established in 1946