Derek Tribe
International Agricultural Scientist
Founder of The Crawford Fund
Lindsay Falvey 2012
The Crawford Fund in association with The Institute for International Development
© Copyright retained by the author. The text words may be copied in any form in context for educational and related purposes. For other purposes, permission should be requested from the author.
The Crawford Fund for International Agricultural Research, Level 3, 10 National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600 Australia
The Institute for International Development, Level 1, 19 North Terrace, Hackney, South Australia 5069 Australia
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Author: Falvey, J. Lindsay Title: Derek Tribe : international agricultural scientist : founder of the Crawford Fund / Lindsay Falvey. ISBN: 9780980787542 (hbk.) Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Subjects: Tribe, D. E. (Derek Edward), 1926-2003 Agriculturists--Australia--Biography Other Authors/Contributors: Crawford Fund for International Agricultural Research/Institute for International Development (Australia) Dewey Number: 630.92
!!" Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey Table of Contents
Page
Acknowledgements vi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 – Formative Decades 4 The First 12 Years 4 War and Evacuation 10
Chapter 2 – Entering the Profession 14 The University of Reading 14 The Rowett Institute 19 Bristol and Australian Contact 26
Chapter 3 – Australia: The First Decade 33 Migrating 33 Assimilating 34 Developing Influence 41 Sabbatical 51 Postmark Australia 55
Chapter 4 – Africa 61 Into Africa 61 Into the World 66 A Global Centre 70 Board Member 79
Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey !!!" Chapter 5 – Latter University Years 87 The Balancing Act 87 University Politician 93 Gentlemen’s Agreements 96 Enthusiastic Innovator 99 All Round Academic 106 Leaving the University 108
Chapter 6 – Transitions 110 UK to Australia 110 Academic to Entrepreneur 114 Busyness to Efficiency 118 Local to International 122 Competitive to Elite 128 University to Commerce 131
Chapter 7 – The ‘Real’ World 135 Australian-Asian Universities’ Cooperation Program 135 The International Development Program 138 The Tribe Years 140 Fish Out of Water 144 Busy and Beleaguered 148 The Call of Agriculture 152
Chapter 8 – Good Philosophy 159 Doing Good 159 Doing Well 163 Self-Interest 166 More Research Needed! 168 Feeding Before Greening 170 Parallel Activities 173
!#" Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey Chapter 9 – The Crawford Fund 176 Return to Research Politicking 176 CGIAR and The Academy 178 The Academy and AIDAB 184 Charter 186 Funding the Fund 191 Raising Awareness 194 Reviews 204 Master Classes 207 After Tribe 210
Chapter 10 – Tribe’s Legacy 212
Endnotes 221
INDEX of Places and Names 236
Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey #" Acknowledgements
The scientific biographer Thomas Söderqvist observed that ‘the passions of scientists are not social products but integral elements in the realization of existentialist projects.’1 From that perspective, while less popular than other biographies, those of scientists are more important. Perhaps such a realization led to so many fellow scientists answering calls for anecdotes and information about Derek Tribe. On the other hand, it may have been a simple testament to the impact that his life had on so many. In any case, I am most grateful to all who have contributed. Many are acknowledged through footnotes and some are listed here, but there are many more – and as they are likely readers of this book, I here thank all concerned.
Contributors and collaborators in information gathering include: The Crawford Fund office and staff and their old files, the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Faculty of Land and Environment at the University of Melbourne, the Asian-Australasian Animal Production Societies, the Australian Society of Animal Production, the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, the International Livestock Research Institute, The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the University of Melbourne and Ausaid libraries, Azeb Abraham, Jock Anderson, Neil Andrew, Janet Beard, Denis Blight, Chris Bonte- Friedheim, John Brien, Charan Chantalakhana, Bob Clements, Shaun Coffey, John Copeland, Eric Craswell,
#!" Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey Julian Cribb, Adrian Egan, Hank Fitzhugh, Malcolm Fraser, David Guy, Ted Henzell, Bruce Holloway, Christian Hoste, Ross Humphreys, Jim Ingram, Jan Jones, Ralph von Kaufmann, Emaelaf Kebede, John Kerin, Alec Lazenby, Sayuki Machida, Susan MacMillan, Alex McCalla, Cathy McGowan, Paul McGowan, Jim McWilliam, Nancy Millis, John Montgomery, Elena Ongania, Marchien von Oostende, Pilar Palaciá, Doug Parbery, David Pennington, Gabrielle Persley, Tony Pickett, Cathy Reade, George Rothschild, Boris Schedvin, Roger Short, David Smith, Prabahkar Tamboli, Tim Terrell, Elizabeth Tribe, Jane Tribe, Norman Tulloh, Nick Uren, Chris Weeks, John Zillman … and Derek himself through his incomplete memoir. And in particular, Denis Blight, Simone Falvey-Behr, Ross Humphreys, and Elizabeth and Jane Tribe kindly corrected and commented on the draft manuscript.
But there is more to acknowledge. As noted in other works, I feel that an author should acknowledge his relationship to the subject so that a reader may glean biases before he begins. Thus my relationship to Derek is relevant, and may be summarized as interactive mentoring. Details, for those interested, are available at
Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey #!!" Objectivity was also challenged by Derek’s autobiography, which was written primarily for his family. For as my old Ph.D. supervisor Ross Humphreys notes in his retirement career of scientific biography, ‘the subject’s distortion of history may arise from a selective revision more favourable to the subject’s participation, or alternatively a modest subject may be loath to describe fully their role in particular achievements.’3 Derek loved a good story, some of which are included herein where they are supported by others’ memories or otherwise ring true. Others have been modified or rejected after analysis. But Derek could also be modest, and some notable features of his life – such as his early publication in Nature – were unknown to both family and colleagues.
I knew him as ‘Derek’ and referred to him in that way through drafts of this work, for that seemed normal. But in the end, I have opted for the conventional ‘Tribe’. For though he was generally referred to as Derek by friends and Tribe by foes, his place in the annals of agricultural science is already preserved as Tribe. And the more formal Tribe perhaps contains a little of the Englishness that he retained throughout his accomplished Australian life. JLF January 2012
#!!!" Derek Tribe: The Crawford Fund - Falvey
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