Lord Northbourne, the man who invented organic farming, a biography

“He was a man of great vision, decisiveness, quiet humour and kindly authority … who brought to every facet of his widely ranging life a rare sense of harmony and balanced purpose. Above all he was a widely read man of very considerable scholarship with deep philosophical understanding … He was a man of great faith and rare belief who saw ‘through a glass darkly ’ so much more than is given to most of us to see and experience ” Duncan Skilbeck (1983, pp.78-79). It was Lord Northbourne (Walter James; 1896-1982) who gifted to the world the term ‘organic farming’. His 1940 book Look to the Land is a manifesto of organic agriculture. In it he mooted a contest of “organic versus chemical farming ” which he foresaw as a clash of world views that may last for generations. Northbourne’s ideas were foundational in launching the worldwide organics movement, and the book was a turning point in his own life. This biography relies on primary sources to draw a picture of Lord Northbourne. He was a very shy man, a talented artist, a capable linguist, a keen sportsman and a