Tribute to agricultural pioneer

Aservice of Thanksgiving was held for Sir Gordon Conway at Holy Trinity Church, South Kensington. His life was celebrated with tributes full of praise and admiration for this kind, generous and engaging man. His life’s work impacted positively upon farming across the globe.

Gordon was an agricultural ecologist, an early advocate of sustainability and helped to shape policy on rural development worldwide. He went to the University College of North Wales gaining a BSC in ecology, followed by a diploma in agricultural science at Cambridge. From there he went to the University College of the West Indies and then to University of California. Innovation, intensification, and sustainability were the themes that inspired Gordon’s work on agricultural development for more than 50 years. He was primarily interested in the physical aspects of sustainability: in the ability of diverse cropping systems to maximise output, but also sustain soil fertility and resist shocks such as drought. In the 1960s Gordon spent five years undertaking entomological research in North Borneo. His work there helped cocoa farmers reduce dependence on harmful and expensive pesticides.

Sir Gordon was perhaps best known for having successfully stood up to the Monsanto Corporation over the sale of seeds that became sterile after a generation – ‘terminator’ seeds. “We felt that Monsanto’s behaviour was alienating poor people from the benefits of biotechnology,” he said. Monsanto eventually invited him to share his concerns with its board members, where he presented them with some ‘home truths’ about their products. The company later decided to change its policies but not before Gordon was targeted with a barrage of abuse by the media and individuals for standing up to this global giant. By winning the argument, Gordon saved the lives and livelihoods of many farmers and their communities, particularly in third world countries who could not afford to buy fresh seed each year. Terminator seeds were certainly not sustainable. Sir Gordon was the Director of Agriculture for Impact, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates, and Professor of International Development at Imperial College London which hosted the reception following the service of Thanksgiving. He was Chief Scientific Adviser to the department for International Development, and President of the Rockefeller Foundation.

I first met Gordon in 1996 when as Vicechancellor of the University of Sussex, he presented the late Dr Jan de Winter with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in recognition for his outstanding contribution to holistic medicine, particularly in service to patients with cancer. As vice- Chancellor (1992-198) Gordon helped establish the Brighton and Sussex medical school. As President of the Rockefeller Foundation, with an endowment of over $3bn, he led its programme and helped launch work on HIV/AIDS. The focus of his career was neatly summed up in the title of his 2012 book ‘One Billion Hungry’: can we Feed the World? In which he estimated that world food production would need to increase by 70 to 100 per cent by 2050 to feed its growing population.

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