The Centre for Agricultural Strategy (CAS) was established in October 1975 by the Nuffield Foundation on the campus of the University of Reading. In October 1980 the Centre became a self-financing unit within the University, and it now forms part of the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development.
Its purpose is the pursuit of vigorous, independent research of developments in the agricultural and food industries, and the rural economy and the countryside, in the UK and the European Union. Until the early 1990s a large part of its work was published under its own imprint (see publications here), but the bulk of its output now appears as reports to sponsors and in refereed international journal articles.

In recent years research contracts have been won from the European Commission, Defra, MLC, MDC, Environment Agency, English Nature and a number of leading charities and commercial organisations. A list of current and recent projects can be found by clicking here. Most of the Centre's projects are multidisciplinary, involving specialists from other disciplines in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, the wider University, and outside experts as well as the Centre's own staff.