Clifford Allan Redin Savory (born 15 September 1935) is a Zimbabwean livestock farmer and former Rhodesian politician, known for his work in promoting holistic management practices. He is the president and co-founder of the Savory Institute.
Allan Savory speaking at a conference
Early Life and Career
Allan Savory was born in Zimbabwe and educated in South Africa (University of Natal - BSc Biology and Botany). Savory’s passion for reversing environmental decline led to a groundbreaking discovery in the 1960s. Transitioning from scientific research to political advocacy, Savory recognized the far-reaching impacts of desertification on society.
Political Career
He served as a Member of Parliament in the latter days of Zimbabwe’s civil war and became the leader of the opposition to the ruling party headed by Ian Smith. At the time of Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, Savory was a Captain in the part-time Territorial Army unit, the 4th Battalion Royal Rhodesia Regiment. He opposed UDI quietly.
Savory was elected to the Rhodesian Parliament representing Matobo constituency in the 1970 election. After resigning from the Rhodesian Front in protest over its policies and handling of the war, in 1973 Savory reformed the defunct Rhodesia Party formerly led by Sir Roy Welensky.
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In 1977, other moderate white parties united in opposition to Ian Smith in what was known as the National Unifying Force (NUF) led by Savory. The NUF party won no seats in the 1977 election, and Savory relinquished leadership to Tim Gibbs, son of Rhodesia's last governor.
Exile and Emigration
Exiled in 1979 as a result of his opposition, he immigrated to the United States, where he continued to work with land managers through his consulting business. The growth of that business, a desire to assist many more people and the need for furthering his work led him to continue its development in the nonprofit world.
The Savory Institute and Holistic Management
Savory advocates using bunched and moving livestock in an effort to mimic nature, as a means to heal the environment, stating "only livestock can reverse desertification. There is no other known tool available to humans with which to address desertification that is contributing not only to climate change but also to much of the poverty, emigration, violence, etc. in the seriously affected regions of the world." He believes grasslands hold the potential to sequester enough atmospheric carbon dioxide to reverse climate change.
In 1984, Savory immigrated to the US, and with his wife Jody Butterfield founded the Center for Holistic Management. Its name was later changed to the Savory Center and later Holistic Management International. In 2009 Savory left HMI and formed the Savory Institute.
Today, the Savory Institute includes an international network of more than 50 hubs that create localized impact through their training and support of Holistic Management practitioners. When not travelling the world spreading his message, Savory and Butterfield split their time between their house in Albuquerque and a thatched-roof complex of mud huts in the African bush in Zimbabwe.
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Savory advocates using high technology to develop alternative energy sources and to reduce or eliminate future emissions. He supports grass fed beef and vehemently opposes industrial livestock production. Savory condemns the practice of slash-and-burn cultivation of forests and grasslands, saying that it "leaves the soil bare, releasing carbon, and worse than that, burning one hectare of grassland gives off more, and more damaging, pollutants than 6,000 cars."
Africa Centre for Holistic Management
In 1992 Savory and his wife, Jody Butterfield, formed a non-profit organization in Zimbabwe, the Africa Centre for Holistic Management, donating a ranch that would serve as a learning site for people all over Africa. Just outside of Victoria Falls, the 20 smallholder farmers of the Sizinda Community have joined together to use Holistic Planned Grazing with support from their local Savory Hub - the Africa Centre for Holistic Management.
Rather than each person managing their own animals and competing with others for grass, collectively the small holder farmers manage an average of 120 animals as a single herd with a single grazing plan. This has not only freed up significant time that was otherwise spent tending animals, but by following a grazing plan the small holder farmers have greatly increased the productivity of their communal lands - an area that many claim is unsuitable for food production.
The Africa Centre for Holistic Management is dedicated to combating desertification for over 30 years. Their 3,200-hectare Dimbangombe Conservancy serves as a testament to their success, as they effectively reverse the effects of desertification through a holistic approach. In their conservancy, they have developed innovative methods to protect their livestock from lion, hyena, leopard and Painted Dog through predator friendly Boma’s (night enclosures) and low-stress herding techniques.
Dimbangombe serves as a training and learning centre for community leaders, commercial farmers and ranchers and NGO’s. Each year, they welcome hundreds of individuals to participate in their various “Holistic Management” and “Community Dynamics” programs developed in collaboration with the Savory Institute, which focus on the specific needs and circumstances of commercial and community subsistence farmers who live and graze on communal lands.
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Controversy and Criticism
Savory's approach to the problem of desertification has met resistance from scientists. A meta-analysis of relevant studies between 1972 and 2016 found that Holistic Planned Grazing had no better effect than continuous grazing on plant cover and biomass, although it may have benefited some areas with higher precipitation.
Conversely, three 2007 and 2010 studies document soil improvement as measured by soil carbon, soil biota, water retention, nutrient-holding capacity, and ground litter on grazed land using multi-pasture grazing methods compared to continuously grazed land. There is also evidence that multi-pasture grazing methods may increase water retention compared to non-grazed land.
According to a 2016 study published by the University of Uppsala, the actual rate at which improved grazing management could contribute to carbon sequestration is seven times lower than the claims made by Savory.
Awards and Recognition
In 2003, Allan Savory received Australia’s International Banksia Award “for the person or organization doing the most for the environment on a global scale,” and in 2010 Savory (and the Africa Centre) received the Buckminster Fuller Institute’s Challenge award for work that has “significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems.” A TED talk Savory gave in 2013 has received over 3.4 million views and in 2014 was voted one of the 50 most intriguing TED talks of all time.
Seth Itzkan talks about reversing climate change through Holistic Management
Key Figures in Holistic Management
Several individuals have contributed to the field of holistic management:
- Peter Barnes: An innovative thinker and entrepreneur whose work has focused on fixing the deepest flaws of capitalism.
- Penelope Douglas: Co-founder and partner at The Heritas Group, a pioneer in community development and impact investing.
- David W. Orr: Counselor to the President at Oberlin College and a fellow at the Cleveland Foundation.
- Hunter Lovins: President of Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS).
- Bill Reed: An internationally recognized proponent and practitioner in sustainability and regeneration.
- Carol Sanford: Founder and CEO of The Responsible Entrepreneur Institute and InterOctave, a global consultancy.
- Gus Speth: A Professor of Law at Vermont Law School.
Publications
Allan Savory has authored and co-authored several books and articles on holistic management, including:
- Allan Savory; Jody Butterfield (10 November 2016). Holistic Management, Third Edition: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment. Island Press.
- Savory, Allan; Butterfield, Jody (1999) [1988]. Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making. Island Press.
- Sam Bingham; Allan Savory (1993). The Holistic Resource Management Workbook. Island Press.
- Savory, Allan; Butterfield, Jody (2010). "7. The Holistic Management Framework: Ensuring Social, Environmental, and Economically Sound Development". In Ukaga (ed.). Sustainable Development: Principles, Frameworks, and Case Studies. CRC Press. pp. 149-175.
- Savory, Allan (2013). The Grazing Revolution: A Radical Plan to Save the Earth. TED Conferences.
These works provide a comprehensive overview of Savory's holistic approach to land management and its potential for addressing environmental challenges.
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