It is a joint private/public sector venture between Bridgepoint Group and the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
FERA was established to support and develop a sustainable food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.
[2] Fera specialises in the sciences underpinning agriculture for sustainable crop production, environmental management and conservation and in food safety and quality.
Fera is part of the UK capability to respond to, and recover from, emergency situations, including accidental or deliberate release of hazardous materials.
It also houses FAPAS (international food analysis proficiency testing services) and the National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria.