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Our history

CABI can trace its origins back to 1910. It began as an entomological research committee then developed into a Commonwealth organization before becoming a truly international service in agricultural information, pest identification and biological control.

  

1910

 

Formation of the Entomological Research Committee (Tropical Africa). One field entomologist is posted to East Africa and one to West Africa to collect and study insects injurious to humans, crops and animals. Collected specimens are sent to the British Museum, known today as the Natural History Museum, in London for identification.

1910

Bulletin of Entomological Research launched.

1913

Formation of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology. Its chief functions are the identification of insect pests and the issue of a monthly periodical giving summaries of all current entomological literature (the first abstract journal was Review of Applied Entomology in two parts Series A - Agricultural, Series B - Medical and Veterinary).  

1920

 

Imperial Bureau of Mycology at Kew established for the identification of fungal diseases of plants, animals and humans and the abstracting of the mycological literature.

1922

First issue of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology’s abstract journal, Review of Applied Mycology.

1927

 

Imperial Agricultural Research Conference (IARC) held in London. The IARC agreed to the formation of a number of new bureaux and that they should each produce an abstract journal on their own subject.

1930

The Imperial Agricultural Bureaux is officially formed as a Commonwealth organization. The Imperial Bureau of Entomology becomes the Imperial Institute of Entomology and the Imperial Bureau of Mycology becomes the Imperial Mycological Institute. An offshoot of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology later evolves into the International Institute of Biological Control.

1933

The adminstration of the Bureaux of Entomology and Mycology are transferred to the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux.

1938

Bureaux of Dairy Science and Forestry merge with the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux

1947

500 cultures are transferred from The Lister Institute to the Imperial Mycological Institute (IMI) after a British Commonwealth Scientific Official Conference recommends that the IMI should be responsible for living cultures of fungi other than medical fungi and yeasts. 

1947 Imperial Agricultural Bureaux becomes the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux (CAB). 
1947

Imperial Institute of Entomology becomes the Commonwealth Institute of Entomology.

1948 Imperial Mycological Institute becomes Commonwealth Mycological Institute.

1966

The Bureau of Agricultural Economics becomes part of CAB.

1973

 

Contents from all the abstract journals, now computerized, are unified to produce the CAB database (CAB Abstracts).

1975

Drive for self-sufficiency (self-funding) put into operation following the 1975 Review Conference.

1978

Training courses on Information in Agriculture started for information scientists and librarians.

1980

The number of abstract journals increases from 19 to 45.

1980

News and Information journals developed. These contain news items from all over the world, short digests and review articles, as well as abstracts from world literature.

1980

CAB Abstracts is accessible on SDC Search Service, California, and on ESA and DIMDI in Europe.

1986

Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux becomes CAB International.

1987 Head Office, database and journal production are centralised to Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK.
1993

CAB Abstracts available on SilverPlatter software as CABCD.

1993 The CABI roundel is introduced and replaces the world logo. 

1998

 

International Institute of Entomology, International Institute of Biocontrol, International Mycological Institute and International Institute of Parasitology merge to form CABI Bioscience.

1998

CABI Publishing comes into existence.

1999

Crop Protection Compendium produced; other Compendia follow.

1999

Internet Resources Nutritiongate and AnimalScience.com launches.

2003

CAB Direct, CABI's own platform for CAB Abstracts, launches.

2004

CABI digitises the print abstract journals going back to 1910 to produce Global Health and CAB Abstracts Archive.

2006

CABI Bioscience and CABI Publishing are united under one single CABI brand.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
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