George McRobie
has long been one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainable agriculture and appropriate, small-scale technology. He was a close friend and colleague of the radical economist E.F. Schumacher, whose landmark
book Small Is Beautiful made such an impact in the latter part of the 20th century. With Schumacher, he was co-founder, in 1966, of the Intermediate Technology Development Group, an organization known since 2005 as Practical Action. Its mission is to work with poor communities in four regions of the
world to develop appropriate technologies in areas such as renewable energy, food production, and small enterprise development.
Following Schumacher’s death in 1977, George McRobie carried on their joint work by writing a practical guide called Small Is Possible, published in 1981. This book made prominent mention of
the work of Prince Edward Island’s Institute of Man and Resources, an organization which first drew McRobie’s attention and person to our shores.
More recently, McRobie has served as President of the Soil Association, Britain’s foremost farm organization
promoting organic agriculture. He has also made several visits to Prince Edward Island for work with UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies; and has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Prince Edward Island.
