Richard Higgins, raised on a Somerset farm in the UK, attained his NDA, degree equivalent, at the Royal Berkshire College of Agriculture. Later he completed a ten year postgraduate study of the works of Sir Albert Howard while travelling and teaching from China to Hawaii. Sir Albert is now considered the Grandfather of organic farming and his research was from the Permanent Agriculture of the east, which is where the term Permaculture was derived. Richard has become a world leading exponent of this work. He presented the Howard (memorial) lecture 2009 at the University of Coventry, for Nigeria to ‘Go Organic’ (transcript sent to HRH The Prince of Wales, who made an immediate response). 

Recently he spent three months at the Haiti earthquake disaster being the lead consultant for the NGO ‘New Directions Foundation’ where he quickly established the Howard-Higgins Thermophilic composting system which renders human waste into safe and potent fertilizer in 30-90 days avoiding moving it from one hole in the ground to another or sitting anywhere for long periods of time. The waste is essentially “pathogen free” in 14 days. Testing is carried out at 30 days. He is a consultant to various groups and has recently set up a Centre of Excellence and teaching in South Herts., ‘Well End Permaculture International', teaching introductory courses, full PDC courses, clay oven building, straw bale building, our In Design polytunnel construction, and fast turn around food production to researchers for aid organisations, aid workers, students of sustainability, and budding Permaculturists.

Richard's website: http://www.suaglon.co.uk