What makes Allan Savory a Global Shaker?
As co-founder of the Savory Institute, Zimbabwean farmer and ecologist Allan Savory is a key but controversial figure in movements to combat desertification. After a seven-decade career he has developed a method for moving livestock across dry plains in a way that he says mimics nature, prevents overgrazing, and helps grasslands grow.
Savory claims his ‘Holistic Management’ process — leading a herd to defecate and trample minerals, urine and old plant matter into the ground — creates the right conditions for greener areas that can effectively absorb and store carbon in soils, effectively reversing climate change. He says these areas become full of water and biodiversity and create economic abundance for farmers.
Savory’s institute manages over 8 million hectares of land across the US, Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Canada and Australia. His 2013 TED Talk has racked up over 5 million views; he has been called a “remarkable man” by Prince Charles of the UK; and in 2003 he was honoured by Australia with the Banksia International Award for the “person doing the most for the environment on a global scale”.
However, Savory’s ideas have sparked strident opposition from some academics, who question both the wisdom of increasing numbers of livestock and the potential for the ground to capture high levels of carbon. UK ecological writer George Monbiot compared the rush to embrace Savory’s ideas as similar to the rush towards a miracle cure — writing that the Zimbabwean’s statements “are not supported by empirical evidence and experimental work, and that in crucial respects his techniques do more harm than good.”
Savory graduated with an undergraduate degree in Botany and Zoology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 1956.
Tags: Africa, DroughtLast updated: June 17, 2019
Next Profile
Technology
How a City in Spain is Making Electricity Out of Oranges
Travel
Vicente Ferreyra’s 5 Keys To Responsible Travel
Environment
Valdís Steinarsdóttir is Creating Packaging From the Byproducts of the Meat…
Randall Carlson
The Randall Carlson…
Saad Sherida al-Kaabi
Qatar Energy
Toufik Hakkar
Sonatrach
Sheikh Nawaf al-Saud al-Nasser al Sabah
Kuwait Petroleum…
Javad Owji
Ministry of…
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber
Adnoc
Amin Nasser
Aramco
Ihsan Abdul Jabbar
Ministry of Oil
Ma Yongsheng
Sinopec
Jonathan Wilkinson
Ministry of Natural…
Igor Sechin
Rosneft
Jennifer Granholm, Energy Secretary, US
Department of Energy
Flower Ezekiel Msuya
University of Dar es…
Helena Abreu
AlgaPlus
Jim Sano
World Wildlife Fund
Chelsea Fawn Briganti
Loliware
Luisa Kahlfeldt
Sumo Diaper
Olavur Gregersen
Ocean Rainforest
Bren Smith
GreenWave
Lucy Hughes
Marinatex
Safiatou Nana
Solar Koodo
Beth Koigi
Majik Water
Bernard Kiwia
Twende Social…
Bernice Dapaah
Ghana Bamboo Bikes…
Lucia Bakulumpagi-Wamala
Bakulu Power
Nthabiseng Mosia
Easy Solar
Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen
5 Gyres
James Wakibia
James Wakibia
Ben Morison
FlipFlopi
Sarah Ferguson
Breathe Conservation
Craig Leeson
Plastic Oceans
David Helvarg
Blue Frontier
David Katz
Plastic Bank
Sylvie Verinder
Nurdle
Joanna Bagniewska
University of…
Emma Johnston
University of New…
Cylita Guy
Insight Data Science
Felix Böck
ChopValue
Melati and Isabel Wijsen
Bye Bye Plastic Bags
Jamie Margolin
Zero Hour
Ralyn Satidtanasarn
Lilly Platt
Jean Hinchcliffe
School Strike 4…
Anuna De Wever Van Der Heyden
Youth for Climate,…
Luisa Neubauer
Fridays For Future…
Mya-Rose Craig
Autumn Peltier
Anishinabek Nation
Isra Hirsi
US Climate Strike
Mari Copeny
Bruno Rodriguez
Jóvenes Por El…
Helena Gualinga
Haven Coleman
US Climate Strike
Dara McAnulty
Emma Lim
No Future Pledge
Nayara Almeida
Fridays for Future…
Ayeni Faith Damilola
Fridays Nigeria
Ayakha Melithafa
Arshak Makichyan
Iqbal Badruddin
Fridays for Future…
Leah Namugerwa
Fridays for Future…
Hilda Flavia Nakabuye
Fridays for Future…
Rubén D. Herrera
Fridays for Future…
Tim Brown & Joey Zwillinger
Allbirds
Kristy Caylor
For Days
Courtney Holm
A.BCH
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Safia Minney MBE
People Tree
Kresse Wesling MBE
Elvis & Kresse
Carmen Hijosa
Ananas Anam
Adriana Santanocito & Enrica Arena
Orange Fiber
Robert Luo
Mi Terro
Laura Chavez
Lark & Berry
Mike Van Drunen
Bloom Foam
Son Chua & Jesse Tran
Rens
Yael Aflalo
Reformation
Connie Gallippi
BitGive Foundation
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio…
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal
World Wildlife…
Carlos Nobre
National Institute…
Reyes Tirado
Greenpeace
Gabriel Santos
Associação…
Ricardo Galvão
Javier Zavaleta
Bolivian Government
Suzanne Pelletier
Rainforest…
Roberto Cabral Borges
Ibama
Sonia Guajajara
Association of…
Mitch Anderson
Amazon Frontlines
Nemonte Nenquimo
Waorani Pastaza…
David Karai Popygua
Guarani People
Cristiana Paşca Palmer
UN Convention on…
Johan Nihlén
Altered
Klaas Hellingwerf
Photanol
Elizabeth Nava Garcia
Entelequia
The Gunia Brothers
Cleanyst
Daphna Nissenbaum
TIPA
Ari Jónsson
Eben Bayer
Ecovative Design
Kevin Kumala
Avani
Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez & Pierre…
Notpla
Javier G. Fernandez
The Fermart Lab
Sharon Barak
Solutum
Benjamin Stern
Nohbo Drops
Lindsay McCormick
Bite
Pavel Alexy
Slovak University of…
Veronica Harwood-Stevenson
HumbleeBee
Randy Rampersad
The Better World…
Froilan Grate
Mother Earth
Ed Chignell
Predator Free 2050
Thouk Seng
Faith Riunga
Lewa
Luis Perez Gutierrez
Medellin Government
Hotlin Ompusunggu
Alam Sehat Lestari
Joshua Konkankoh
Better World…
Mathias P. Clausen
University of…
Daniel Rojas
Peña Blanca…
Chris Reij
World Resources…
Mohamed Bakarr
Global Environment…
Kiran Rao
Paani Foundation
Lou Zhiping
Zhijan Yi
Chongqing Jiaotong…
Pedro Berliner
Ben Gurion…
Kristian P. Olesen
Desert Control
(Eric) Jing Xiandong
Ant Financial
Junji Cao
Chinese Academy of…
Liang Wu
Green City Solutions
Anirudh Sharma
Graviky
Kate Brandt
Christiana Figueres
Mission 2020
David Attenborough
BBC
Sarah Butler-Sloss
Ashden
Karina Von Baer
Empresas Agrotop
Joan Edwards
The Wildlife Trusts
Mariana Andrea Nallim
Reciclarg Recycling…
Laurie Davies Adams
The Pollinator…
Greta Thunberg
Yael Morowati
Loving Naturals
Irina Fedorenko
Biocarbon…
Mohammed Hamdy
Go Clean
Janis Jones
Ocean Conservancy
Li Ganjie
Ministry of Ecology…
Javier Goyeneche
Ecoalf
Alex Schulze
4Ocean
Phil Cruver
Catalina Sea Ranch
Pete Ceglinski
Seabin
George John
City College of New…
Tristram Stuart
Feedback
Paola Cortese
Plastic Bank
Boyan Slat
The Ocean Cleanup
Amit Gudka and Hayden Wood
Bulb
Diego Saez-Gil
Pachama
Topher White
Rainforest…
Christian Kroll
Ecosia
Sally Jewel
The Nature…
Matthew Owen
Cool Earth
Steve Micklewright
Trees For Life
Felix Finkbeiner
Plant for the Planet
Thomas Crowther
Crowther Lab
Crystal Davis
World Resources…
Stéphane Hallaire
Reforest'Action
Diana Ruiz
Greenpeace
Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall…
Lloyd Gamble
World Wildlife Fund
Matt Harris
Arbor Day Foundation
David Elliott
Trees for Cities
David Christian
Evoware
Paul Lister
The European Nature…
Edwin Broni-Mensah
Give Me Tap
Philip Wilson
Josephine Goube
Techfugees
Sarah Chapman
Faro Energy
José Manuel Entrecanales
Acciona
Francesco Starace
Enel
Juliet Davenport
Good Energy
Steve Katsaros
Nokero
Craig Arnold
Eaton Industries
Al Gore
The Climate Reality…
Joaquín de Piérola Marín
Abengoa
Marc Grynberg
Umicore
Nick Boyle
Lightsource
Joachim Lutz
Crop Energies
Aliaume Thiam (Akon)
Akon Lighting Africa
Wang Hong (王洪)
Risen Energy
Bill Jones
Pacific Ethanol
Kailash Tarachandani
Inox Wind
Xi Jinping
The Communist Party…
Mark Widmar
First Solar
Anders Runevad
Vestas
Todd A. Becker
Green Plains
Shawn Qu
Canadian Solar
Kate Hofman
GrowUp Urban Farms
Alborz Bozorgi and Ellenor McIntosh
Twipes
Adam Dixon
Phytophonics
Toby McCartney
MacRebur
Tessa Clarke
Olio
Zoe Robinson
The Good Wardrobe
Adam Routledge
Edible Bug Farm
Simon Crowther
Flood Protection…
Ilana Taub
Snact
Tom Robinson
Adaptavate
Videos
Latest Tweets
Tweets by TwitterDev