Leading agri research centre relocates to Cirencester and collaborates with RAU
The Organic Research Centre, which recently relocated from Newbury to Cirencester, is to collaborate with The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) to expand industry links and research and teaching opportunities.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed virtually last week by Jo Price, Vice-Chancellor of the RAU and Professor Neil Ravenscroft, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), together with Dr Bruce Pearce, Director of Research and Innovation from the ORC and Lucy MacLennan, CEO.
The Organic Research Centre (ORC) is the UK’s leading independent research centre for the development of organic/agroecological food production and land management to help tackle climate change, soil and biodiversity conservation, and food security.
Professor Neil Ravenscroft, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at the RAU, said: “We are excited to be entering into this mutually-beneficial partnership with the Organic Research Centre. They have a strong track record in gaining research funding which is something we are keen to increase as we seek to raise our research output among growing global challenges in food production and supply chains.
“We are committed to education and research into multiple systems of food production, which includes organic and regenerative agriculture, and this partnership will provide valuable opportunities to collaborate on new areas of research.
“The RAU has been at the forefront of agricultural education and a key contributor to the land-based sector for 175 years, so brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge and resource to the partnership. The ORC are keen to be part of the RAU community and we look forward to welcoming them.”
Lucy MacLennan, CEO of the Organic Research Centre said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the ORC to work alongside the RAU. Through this partnership we will be able to learn from each other and really help shape the future direction of the industry both through our research but also through supporting RAU students in their studies. This MoU fulfils one of the strategic ambitions for our organisation which is to build strong collaborations with leading organisations such as the RAU, so that we can continue to drive our research programme into improving organic and agroecological farming methods, whilst engaging with the widest audience.”
