Pierre Rabhi (born Rabah Rabhi; 29 May 1938 – 4 December 2021) was a French writer, farmer, and environmentalist. Originally a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, he converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

before abandoning that religion as well. Rabhi studied in France, and is considered an important figure in French

agroecology Agroecology is an academic discipline that studies ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. Bringing ecological principles to bear can suggest new management approaches in agroecosystems. The term can refer to a science, ...

. He invented the concept of an ''oasis en tous lieux'' ("an oasis in any place"). Rabhi advocated a society which respects its population and land, supporting the development of agricultural techniques which preserve natural resources. His theories relate particularly, although not exclusively, to

arid Aridity is the condition of geographical regions which make up approximately 43% of total global available land area, characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.Perez-Aguilar, L. Y., Plata ...

countries. His use of anthroposophically based

biodynamic agriculture Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture based on pseudoscientific and esoteric concepts initially developed in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925). It was the first of the organic farming movements. It treats soil fertility, ...

was controversial. He died on 4 December 2021, at the age of 83.

Youth

Rabhi was born into a Muslim family in

Kénadsa Kénadsa is a town and Communes of Algeria, commune in the Sahara Desert of south-western Algeria, and is the capital of Kénadsa District, Béchar Province. As of 2008, Kénadsa had a population of 13,492, up from 11,667 in 1998, and an annual gr ...

, near

Béchar Béchar () is the capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. It is also a commune, coextensive with Béchar District, of Béchar Province. In 2008 the city had a population of 165,627, up from 134,954 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 2.1% ...

(an oasis in southern Algeria), in 1938. His mother died when he was four years old. Rabhi's father—who was a blacksmith, musician, and poet—became acquainted with a French couple (an engineer who was a primary school teacher and his wife) when they came to work during the colonial period at the ''compagnie des houillères'' (coal-mining company) in his native village. Since the couple were childless and the elder Rabhi was concerned about his son's future, he allowed them to raise Pierre if he remained an observant Muslim. Rabhi's father later had to close his workshop and work in the mine, which influenced Pierre's philosophy. He spent his childhood in France and Algeria, in the Catholic and Muslim worlds, until he was 14.

Paris

Rabhi found work as a technician and married Michelle, a coworker. Both of them dreamed of escaping urban life, and they considered the possibility of farming. He met Pierre Richard, an ecologist who was involved in the creation of the

Cévennes National Park Cévennes National Park () is a List of national parks of France, French national park located in Southern France, in the mountainous area of Cévennes. Created in 1970, the park has its administrative seat in Florac at Florac Castle. It is loca ...

and who encouraged them. They decided to move to

Ardèche Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Malarce-sur-la-Thines. They had a child and, with no knowledge of agriculture, Rabhi registered with a ''Maison familiale rurale'' (a centre run by volunteer groups, funded by the French national and regional governments) and earned a certificate. In 1963, after three years as an agricultural worker, he became a small goat farmer in the Cévennes ardéchoises. He did not want to follow the productivist model in which he had been trained.

Recognition

In 1978, Rabhi was given responsibility for training in agricultural ecology at CEFRA (''Centre d'études et de formation rurales appliqués'', Centre for Applied Rural Studies and Training). Beginning in 1981, at the request of the French government, he visited

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

as a Farmer Without Frontiers in a programme funded by the CRIAD (''Centre de relations internationales entre agriculteurs pour le développement'', Centre for International Relations Between Farmers and for Development). In 1985, Rabhi set up the

training centre at Gorom-Gorom, with the support of the Le Point-

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; ; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Mìlhüsa'' ; , meaning "Mill (grinding), mill house") is a France, French city of the European Collectivity of Alsace (Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region of France). It is near the Fran ...

association. An assessment of his work by French ecologist René Dumont criticised Rabhi's agronomic knowledge and the influence of his mystical beliefs on his work; it is the only scientific assessment of Rabhi's work to date. Burkina Faso President

Thomas Sankara Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara (; 21 December 1949 – 15 October 1987) was a Burkinabè military officer, Marxist and Pan-Africanist revolutionary who served as the President of Burkina Faso from 1983, following his takeover in a coup, until ...

supported the project and wanted to make agroecology a national policy before his death in 1987. In 1988, Rabhi founded the CIEPAD (''Carrefour international d'échanges de pratiques appliquées au développement'', International Forum for the Sharing of Knowledge About Applied Practices) with the support of the

Hérault Hérault (; , ) is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault (river), Hérault River, its Prefectures in France, prefecture is M ...

departmental council. He developed a model agricultural site, educational and training programs, and began overseas-development programs in Morocco,

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Togo, Benin, Mauritania, Poland, and Ukraine. In 1992, Rabhi began a program for the rehabilitation of the Chenini-Gabès oasis in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

. From 1994 on he led the ''Oasis en tous lieux'' (an oasis in any place) movement, which aims to promote an earth that can produce food and revive social involvement. In 1997 and 1998, Rabhi was asked to prepare proposals for the implementation of his plan in preparation for the Agreement on Action Against Desertification (Convention de lutte contre la désertification, or CCD). From 1999 to 2001, he began development initiatives in the

Agadez Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of the eponymous Agadez Region, the city lies in the Sahara ...

region in

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

and the

Gao Gao (or Gawgaw/Kawkaw) is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley. For much of its history Gao was an imp ...

region in

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

. Rabhi began a pre-presidential campaign in 2012, obtaining the support of 184 elected representatives and beginning the ''Mouvement d'appel pour une insurrection des consciences'' (MAPIC, the Movement Calling for an Insurrection of Consciences). He led conferences and workshops on themes relating to ''simplicité volontaire'' (

simple living Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. In addition t ...

) and ''décroissance'' -

degrowth Degrowth is an Academic research, academic and social Social movement, movement critical of the concept of economic growth, growth in Real gross domestic product, gross domestic product as a measure of Human development (economics), human and econ ...

. Preparing for the ''altermondialisme'' (alter-globalisation) movement, Rabhi was invited to the

European Social Forum The European Social Forum (ESF) was a recurring conference held by members of the alter-globalization movement (also known as the Global Justice Movement). In the first few years after it started in 2002 the conference was held every year, but late ...

; one of his speeches was ''"Donner une âme à la mondialisation"'' ("Giving a Soul to Globalisation"). In 2007, he founded the ''Mouvement international pour la terre et l'humanisme'' (International Movement for Earth and Humanism). President of Terre et Humanisme, Rabhi was a member of the editorial board of the French monthly ''La Décroissance'', and was vice-president of the Kokopelli Seed Foundation. The foundation works to protect

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

in the production and distribution of organically- and biodynamically grown seeds and for the regeneration of fertility in cultivated soils.

Controversy

Debat Nantes Katorza 2010-03-15 - Pierre Rabhi

Rabhi was at times the subject of controversy. His links to

anthroposophy Anthroposophy is a spiritual new religious movementSources for 'new religious movement': which was founded in the early 20th century by the esotericist Rudolf Steiner that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensibl ...

, a philosophy rooted in esoteric beliefs, were questioned. Rabhi promoted disciplines stemming from

Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (; 27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century ...

, including

Waldorf education Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical sk ...

, and

anthroposophic medicine Anthroposophic medicine (or anthroposophical medicine) is a form of alternative medicine based on pseudoscientific and occult notions. Devised in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) in conjunction with Ita Wegman (1876–1943), anthroposoph ...

, some of which are considered

pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

. His

agronomic Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...

skills were contested; despite claims of outstanding results through his agricultural techniques, no external assessment of his work was ever done following a critical evaluation by René Dumont in 1988. An independent investigation led by the skeptical organization

Association française pour l'information scientifique Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

reported that his farm at the Mas de Beaulieu did not yield enough crops to feed his employees (despite hundreds of volunteer workers), in contrast to Rabhi's claims of good results.

Bibliography

*''Du Sahara aux Cévennes ou la reconquête du songe'' (autobiography), Éditions de Candide, Lavilledieu, 1983, rééd. Albin Michel, Paris, 1995, rééd as ''Du Sahara aux Cévennes : itinéraire d'un homme au service de la Terre-Mère'', Albin Michel, Paris, 2002. *''Le Gardien du Feu'' (novel), Éditions de Candide, Lavilledieu, 1986; Éditions Albin Michel, Paris, 2003. *''L'Offrande au crépuscule'' (Prix des sciences sociales agricoles du ministère de l'Agriculture), Éditions de Candide, Lavilledieu, 1989, rééd. aux éditions L'Harmattan 2001. *''Le Recours à la terre'' (recueil d'articles), Éditions Terre du Ciel, Lyon, 1995, new éd. augm. 1999. *''Parole de Terre : une iniciation africaine'', Éditions Albin Michel, Paris, 1996 (préface by Yehudi Menuhin). *''As in the Heart, So in the Earth'' (translation by Joseph Rowe of ''Parole de Terre''), Park Street Press, Rochester, Vermont, 2007. *''Manifeste pour des Oasis en tous lieux'', ouvrage collectif under the direction of Pierre Rabhi, 1997. *''Le Chant de la Terre'', interview par Jean-Pierre et Rachel Cartier, Editions La Table Ronde, Paris, 2002. *''Graines de possibles'', regards croisés sur l'écologie avec Nicolas Hulot, Ed Calmann-Lévy, Paris, 2005. *''Conscience et environnement'', Éditions du Relié, Gordes, 2006. *''La part du colibri, l'espèce humaine face à son devenir'', Éditions de l'aube, 2006 (témoignage for the 2005 Mouans-Sartoux book festival). *''Terre-Mère, Homicide volontaire ? Entretiens avec Jacques Olivier Durand'', Le Navire en pleine ville, 2007. *''Manifeste pour la Terre et l'Humanisme, Pour une insurrection des consciences'', Actes Sud, 2008.

Notes and references

External links

Le site de l'association "Terre et Humanisme"Pierre Rabhi sur MediapartMouvement pour la terre et l'humanismeLe blog de Pierre Rabhi
* ttp://www.appel-consciences.info/ Site du Mouvement Appel Pour une Insurrection des Consciences (MAPIC) br>Extrait vidéo, interview de Pierre Rabhi par Michel Saloff, sur vimeo, avril 2010Extrait vidéo, interview de Pierre Rabhi par Nicolas Hulot et Michel Drucker, sur dailymotion, décembre 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabhi 1938 births 2021 deaths Algerian emigrants to France Algerian former Christians Algerian former Sunni Muslims Algerian writers Berber Christians Degrowth advocates French former Christians French former Sunni Muslims French male writers People from Kénadsa Permaculturalists