Leifert takes top job
Internationally renowned organics expert Professor Carlo Leifert
Southern Cross University has appointed internationally renowned organics expert Professor Carlo Leifert to head up the first Centre for Organic Research within an Australian University, based at the SCU Lismore campus.
The Centre for Organics Research is a joint initiative between Southern Cross University and NSW Department of Primary Industries and will conduct research in partnership with community and industry stakeholders. The centre is located within the Plant Industries Department of the university but will conduct multidisciplinary research covering production systems, sustainable resource management, economics and markets, and education and health.
Professor Carlo Leifert will maintain his position as a Professor of Ecological Agriculture and Director of the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group at Newcastle University in England and will travel between Australia and the UK, spending two to three months in each institution in rotation. He also has visiting Professor status at the Department of Clinical Nutrition in the Medical School at the University of Oslo and with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS).
Acres Australia writer Tim Marshall spoke with Professor Leifert in March 2018, in the second week of his first two-month assignment at SCU. ENCOURAGING systems that are less reliant on high energy inputs and synthetic fertilisers and pesticides are at the top of the list for Professor Carlo Leifert, as he gets stuck into his new role as head of Centre for Organics Research.
Hailing from the north of Germany, where his family includes biodynamic farmers and retailers, Professor Leifert’s academic and employment history includes research into sustainable and organic farming systems, working for a Dutch plant-breeding company, and establishing and managing UK supermarket Tesco’s organic supply chain.
However, he is perhaps best-known in organic circles for his ground-breaking research and publications on the nutritional value of organic food.
On top of all this, he still finds time to farm olives for oil production on his own property on the Mediterranean island of Crete.
Professor Leifert told Acres Australia that his interests in farming systems are broad but current research projects include weeding technologies, crop rotation and breeding varieties of wheat and potatoes specifically suited to organic growing methods.
He also emphasised the importance of involving farmers
as participants in organic systems research and indicated his personal commitment to creating shorter, local supply chains for food.
Comparing the quality of conventional and organic food
Professor Leifert was the lead researcher in a meta- study, which combines the findings of multiple comparative trials.
He says the evidence from these studies is overwhelming, that organic food is higher in antioxidants and lower in toxic metals and pesticides.
Additional anti oxidants
The meta-analysis analysed the results from 343 studies into the compositional differences between organic and conventional crops, and found that eating organic fruit, vegetable and cereals would provide additional antioxidants equivalent to eating between one to two extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
The study was published in the prestigious British Journal of Nutrition and is the most comprehensive study so far conducted into the nutritional content of organic versus conventional food.
‘One of my main jobs is to find younger researchers to take over from my generation’ - Carlos Leifert
Overcoming resistance
Findings from the study include higher trace elements and antioxidants, lower nitrogen concentration in organic food, significantly less cadmium and much lower pesticide residues.
Acres Australia asked Professor Leifert how he would overcome the ‘resistance’ to the idea of organic growing in agricultural production disciplines within Australian universities.
He said, “I have always also worked with conventional producers and researchers with the aim of improving the sustainability of their practices.
“I know that there is significant emphasis from all quarters on decreasing the environmental impact from fertilisers and other crop production practices.
“I think that our organic studies are holding up organic methods well and that as we continue to publish our results, we will have an impact on conventional researchers.
“In fact, both production systems have something to learn from each other and we should not seek controversy but just continue to display the positive results from organic farming.
Finding the next generation
“One of my main jobs is to find younger researchers to take over from my generation and to continue our work into helping organic farmers with their positive growing systems, as well as continuing the comparative work, where I believe we have even more positive benefits from organic to find and publish.”
Professor Leifert has already visited organic farms in Western Australia, where he has commenced work with cereal breeding trials.
He’s keen to visit a range of Australian farms to improve his knowledge of Australian production practices and problems, and to ensure that the work of the Centre for Organic Research is relevant to all regions of Australia, as well as the better-watered warm- temperate location of Southern Cross University in north-eastern NSW. ☐