In his book The Doubly Green Revolution (1997), Gordon Conway, who has died aged 85, describes visiting a tiny farm in Kakamega, in western Kenya. On only a quarter of a hectare – 50 metres square – he counted 30 different species of useful plant, plus a calf and a cow: maize, beans, cassava, bananas, vegetables, grasses, different trees and even an area of weeds. Population pressure had forced the subdivision of land, but Gordon argued that this had fostered intensification and innovation, resulting in a rich, ecologically diverse and sustainable farming system.
Innovation, intensification and sustainability were themes that inspired Gordon’s work on agricultural development for more than half a century. As an agricultural ecologist, 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.
