SASA (Scottish Government)
Newly built headquarters in 2007 | |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 1992 |
Jurisdiction | Scottish Government |
Parent department | Environment and Rural Affairs Department |
SASA (formerly the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency) is a division of the Scottish Government Agriculture and Rural Delivery Directorate. It provides scientific advice and support on a range of agricultural and environmental topics to the Scottish Government.[1]
SASA is based at Gogarbank Farm on the western edge of the City of Edinburgh, where its premises contain a laboratory, a glasshouse and an experimental farm facility. Over 100 scientists and other staff members work at SASA, all of whom are civil servants.[1]
History
From 1925 to 2006, the Agency and its precursors were based at East Craigs in Edinburgh. The Agency was first formed by the then
In May 1925, the Seed Testing Station moved to new purpose built laboratories at East Craigs along with the Plant registration Station. The Board of Agriculture changed its name to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAFS) in 1960, and in 1961 the operations at East Craigs were renamed Agricultural Scientific Services of DAFS.[2]
In 1992, the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) was formed as an executive agency taking on the role of Agricultural Scientific Services for the then Scottish Office. Following devolution in Scotland, the Agency became a part of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department.
In 2000, SASA began developing plans to relocate from East Craigs due to the age of the facilities and the demands put upon them by new technologies, a suitable site was eventually identified on the Agency's own Gogarbank Farm. SASA finally relocated to purpose built facilities there in 2006.
In April 2008, the agency became a division within the Agriculture Food and Rural Communities Directorate of the Scottish Government. It was known as Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture until March 2019, when it was decided that the name should be changed to the commonly used acronym SASA. The work conducted by the organisation and its facilities remained the same.[3]
Role
The role of SASA is as follows:
- Ensuring the quality of seeds and tubers for planting, and new crop varieties;
- Keeping field and horticulturalcrops free of damaging diseases;
- Keeping serious pests of plants out of Scotland;
- Acting as the Scottish Government's Inspectorate of genetically modified crops;
- Developing new and more sensitive diagnostic tests for pests and diseases;
- Preserving and maintaining a wide range of historic, heritage and other varieties of peas and brassicas;
- Monitoring the national diet, and the pattern of use of pesticides in Scotland;
- Protecting wildlifeagainst deliberate or accidental poisoning;
- Understanding the geese).[1]
References
- ^ a b c "About Us | SASA (Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture)". www.sasa.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ A guide to East Craigs. M.J. Richardson, S.R. Cooper, C.A. John and S.J. Clarke (1983) HMSO Dd. 880513
- ^ "Scottish Government Division | SASA (Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture)". www.sasa.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2020.