Peter A Huxley has been aptly described as one of the ‘giants’ of tropical agroforestry research. He was born in Dulwich, East London in 1926 to Ernest Huxley and Florence Agnes Daisy Huxley. His father was a stock taker, while his mother was a housewife. Between 1942 and 1944 he served as an insurance underwriter for Lloyds in London. He later joined the volunteer reserve in the Royal Auxiliary Navy at the end of the Second World War (1944-1946). Peter then briefly returned to Lloyds, before deciding that it wasn’t for him. He chose to go to a technical college to study biology, chemistry and physics, in order to gain access to Reading University. Not only was he the first in his family to get a university degree, but in 1963 he completed his PhD in Horticultural Botany. His area of focus was coffee physiology in Uganda.

Peter joined ICRAF in 1979. He not only came with a strong interest in agriculture, climate, tree phenology and coffee, but also with ideas about agricultural education and the gap between agriculture and forestry. He helped shape the new field of integrative science in support of farmer practice and policy reform, that culminated in the creation of agroforestry.

According to Bjorn Lundgren, former Director General of ICRAF (1981-1991), Peter played a key role in developing the science of agroforestry. “I must say that during that period we made enormous progress, not only because he was Director of Research Development, but because of his innovative and imaginative way of studying and understanding the interactions between the various woody and non-woody components of agroforestry systems.”

Peter retired in 1990, and left ICRAF two years later. However, he remained actively involved in agroforestry education and in synthesizing knowledge. In 1996, in partnership with Chin Ong (Crops for The Future Research Centre, Malaysia), he compiled and edited a publication – Tree-Crop Interactions: A Physiological Approach. His co-author describes him as an inspiration to many upcoming scientists. “He will be remembered for his ability to inspire enthusiasm in everyone who worked with him and for his infectious sense of humour.”

Three years later, he published Tropical Agroforestry, which was mainly a reflection of his journey of discovery. In the preface he stated: “We should always remember that people are the key elements in agroforestry. Being inclined towards biology, I can only refer to some of the socio-economic aspects in this book (and without claiming much authority)”. This publication describes what agroforestry is, its complexities, and how to study and develop it through reliable and credible research methods. Twenty years on, the book still stands out as the major textbook on agroforestry.

Meine van Noordwijk (ICRAF), in his tribute, noted that Peter had made a substantive contribution in building a strong foundation in the field of agroforestry research. Fergus Sinclair (ICRAF) described him as one who first kindled his interest in agroforestry way back in 1985.

“I was on my way back from Zambia to the UK, after meeting Peter, clutching a copy of one of his publications – Plant Research and Agroforestry – and a cornucopia of ideas about how trees interact with crops and livestock fizzing about in my head. Foremost amongst these, was Peter’s excitement about adapting systematic spacing designs from plantation research to agroforestry contexts. He definitely stimulated what has turned out to be a life-long quest to understand how tree-crop interactions will play out in different contexts, making him the progenitor of the options-by-context approach which is currently revolutionizing agronomic research.”

Other colleagues also mentioned his generosity, love for French onion soup which he brought to all ICRAF social events and his illegible handwriting. “Much later in life, when his sight was failing, he donated a magnificent set of agroforestry slides for use in teaching at Bangor University – continuing his huge legacy to young people who dare to dream of a future that embraces agroforestry,” concluded Fergus.

Ken Giller (Wageningen University), on his part, described Peter as a ‘father figure’ in the research community. “He was both an inspiration and a mentor in developing my own teaching on the topic. What I remember, in particular, were exciting discussions on the ‘tree-crop interface’, and how he brought his vast observational experience to bear in his teaching. His book, Tropical Agroforestry, remains a key text for our teaching at the university.”

Peter Huxley was one of the ‘giants’ of agroforestry research; one of his greatest legacies is the extent to which his wisdom and advocacy played a key role in the recognition by CGIAR that a specialized centre for research on agroforestry could have an enormous impact in enhancing the welfare of small-scale farmers. He made a major contribution to the development of ICRAF, from a council to an international research centre.

Peter Huxley passed on in November 2019. May his soul rest in peace!

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Lundgren, B., Nair, P.K., van Noordwijk, M. et al. In memoriam: Peter A. Huxley (1926–2019). Agroforest Syst (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-020-00490-w