African biologist, farmer, soldier, political activist, exile, renowned environmentalist and winner of the Banksia International Award 2003

Allan Savory grew up in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) with more than just a taste for the bush. He learnt to ‘read’ the land and developed a passion for his country, its people and most importantly, its wildlife.

After graduating from Natal University as a biologist Allan pursued a career as a researcher and game ranger in Northern Rhodesia. In the 1960s, while working on the interrelated problems of increasing poverty and disappearing wildlife, Allan made a significant breakthrough in understanding why his country and the African continent was degrading and why the landscapes were rapidly desertifying.

Allan identified key insights critical to the regeneration of land, people and individual and national prosperity. He went on to work as a resource management consultant on four continents, developing sustainable solutions to land management problems.

His work and profile as a researcher led him into the Rhodesian Parliament, where for seven years he was the leader of the combined opposition parties, before being exiled by the Ian Smith Government in 1979. He also had much of his land, near Victoria Falls, confiscated.

While in exile in the USA, Allan realised that throughout history, desertification and loss of prosperity had always followed innate human decision-making processes. He co-founded the Centre for Holistic Management with his wife, Jody Butterfield, and went on to develop a universal application to land management that can be successfully applied no matter what the geographical location, economic situation or industry circumstance.

Today, thousands of families, corporations and businesses are successfully using the framework developed by Allan to radically improve the quality of their lives and regenerate the resource base that sustains them. This includes conservation projects in the USA, Africa and Australia, where large tracts of land are being transformed into sustainable eco systems.

Allan has been awarded the Banksia International Award 2003 in recognition of his outstanding efforts to improving land management and his contribution to conservation around the world.

Synopsis of presentation by Allan Savory to The Natural Step (April 1999)

Many past civilizations could not sustain themselves because they could not sustain the environment that supported them. A similar concern is engulfing the world today, and for the same reason. Despite our best intentions, our mega-conferences, and our pledges, we are making little progress in producing an environment that is capable of sustaining our own civilization. We can begin to make significant progress, however, once we begin to change the way we make decisions. Holistic Management offers a new decision-making framework that managers in a variety of businesses, cultures, and countries are using to help ensure that the decisions they take are economically, socially, and environmentally sound, simultaneously—both short and long term. The new framework can be utilized to great effect in any TNS company. It will enhance your understanding of the basic processes through which all ecosystems function; and it will enhance your ability to create the kind of company you want to be.

Jody and Allan Savory