Our history
CABI started as a commonwealth organization in the early 20th Century in a small way, but soon developed into a world service in agricultural information, pest identification and biocontrol.
1910
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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 Natural History Museum in London for identification. |
1910 |
Bulletin of Entomological Research launched. |
1913 |
Formation of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology. Its chief function is the identification of insect pests, and the issue of a monthly periodical, giving summaries of all current entomological literature (the first abstract journal). |
1920
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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. |
1927
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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
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CAB (initially known as the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux) is officially formed as a Commonwealth organization. |
1933 |
The Bureaux of Entomology and Mycology are raised to the status of Institutes and became part of CAB in 1933. An offshoot of Entomology becomes part of CAB in 1933 and later evolves into the Institute of Biological Control. |
1938 |
Bureaux of Dairy Science and Forestry become part of CAB. |
1947 |
Imperial Agricultural Bureaux becomes the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. |
1966 |
The Bureau of Agricultural Economics becomes part of CAB. |
1973
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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 |
By 1980 the number of abstract journals has increased from 19 to 45. |
1980 |
News and Information journals developed. These contained news items from all over the world, short digests and review articles, as well as the abstracts from the 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. |
1993 |
CAB Abstracts available on SilverPlatter software as CABCD. |
1993 | The CABI roundel was introduced and replaced the world logo. Initially this was with the words Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International written around it. |
1998
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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 launched. |
2003 |
CAB Direct, CABI's own platform for CAB Abstracts, is launched. |
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. |