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About CSL
CSL is a public sector science organisation providing research and information services to governments and industry around the world. We focus on protecting environmental quality, developing sustainable land uses and safeguarding food chain safety. Our sciences are targeted closely on developing capabilities to anticipate and assess risks, and respond to emergencies in the environment and food chain.
CSL is an Executive Agency of Defra and works closely with Defra's other science agencies CEFAS and VLA
Our vision is to be an innovative and influential centre of excellence in the sciences underpinning sustainable land use, safe food supply and environmental issues, and a contractor of choice for a broad user community.
We use our scientific expertise to meet the needs of a wide private sector customer base from all over the world. Providing research, surveillance, technical services, consultancy and training, we support our customers in achieving four primary outcomes:
- A healthy environment
- Sustainable land use
- A safe food supply chain
- Resilience against contingency events
Established in 1992, but with heritage that goes back to 1914, CSL is located in a purpose built laboratory complex at Sand Hutton near York. We employ over 700 staff, 500 of whom are scientists.
In the year to January 2008, our scientists published 146 papers in peer-reviewed journals listed in the Science Citation Index. This serves as testimony to our position as a centre of excellence in the sciences in which we operate.