Britain’s first Chair in Ecological Agriculture learned about biodynamic agriculture (a form of organic farming developed around the turn of the century by the founder of the anthroposophical movement, Rudolf Steiner) at an early age, through a close friend of the family.

He worked as an apprentice on farms in Germany and Israel before finishing a degree in agriculture at Goettingen University. After moving into academia (first at Manchester and then at Aberdeen University) he specialised on research and development into non-chemical disease and pest control strategies. In 1997 he established the first university-based research and development Centre for Organic Agriculture, at Aberdeen.

Professor Leifert is now the Director of the TESCO Centre for Organic Agriculture (TCOA) at Newcastle University, now the largest University-based research centre underpinning organic farming in the UK. TCOA currently holds major research grants from MAFF, DTI, EU and Greenpeace.