It is with deep sorrow that we received the news of the passing of our colleague Stein W. Bie. Stein passed away on 19 November 2025 at the age of 82.
With Stein's passing, we have lost a unique personality who left a significant mark globally, nationally, and locally.
We came to know Stein at what was then the Norwegian College of Agriculture in Ås, where he led Noragric from 1988 to 1995, transforming it into an exciting centre for International Environmental and Development Studies.
Stein was a visionary and an inspiring leader with a passionate commitment and clear goals to contribute to justice and development in the world. Educated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in fields such as soil science, nutrition, and health, he possessed a unique interdisciplinary expertise and the intellectual courage to engage in controversial debates on topics such as desertification, biotechnology, and poverty alleviation.
Stein inspired Norwegian students and academics to pursue international engagement and worked tirelessly to open the university to international students and researchers, especially from the Global South.
He was eloquent both in publications and meetings and could captivate audiences with his expertise and compelling stories. He supervised numerous students across a wide range of disciplines and lectured with passion and fresh insights on current issues.
After seven years as Head of Noragric, he moved to Rome in 1995 to become Director of Research at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. He arrived just in time to play an active role in the pivotal World Food Summit, held in 1996.
He became a sought-after interview subject among the international press corps due to his unique ability to take a broader perspective and discuss food and agricultural development in a larger context.
From the FAO, he moved to the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) in The Hague, where he served as director until his return to Norway in 2003. In Norway, Stein was asked to lead a committee tasked with making recommendations about the role of agriculture in Norwegian development aid policy. The Bie Committee's report in 2003 recommended an increase in agricultural aid.
Although this recommendation was not implemented, Stein underwent a career shift, deciding to move from international agricultural development to become an organic dairy farmer in Østerdalen. He eventually also became a local politician for the Socialist Left Party (SV) in the municipality of Stor-Elvdal. From the global to the local, and from theory to practice, he maintained the same passionate commitment throughout.
We remember Stein as a warm and ethical individual, a courageous professional, and an impatient advocate for a better world.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Stein's wife, Karen, and their two daughters and families.
By Ruth Haug, Poul Wisborg og Jennifer West, on behalf of colleagues at Noragric/NMBU.