Colin Fraser was born in England in 1935, and educated in England, Canada and Switzerland. He qualified as an agriculturalist and became a lecturer and instructor on Massey-Ferguson farm machinery.
He then became one of the early pioneers in applying communication media and processes to overseas development, promoting attitudinal and behavioural change among small farmers. For seventeen years he ran operations in this field for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation before, in 1984, becoming a consultant working for most of the main development agencies. Colin’s work has taken him to more than 60 countries, often 'thrashing around in the bush'.
He also found time to run a small commercial vineyard and wine-producing operation in Italy, with wines in all the main Italian and international wine guides. Colin learned to ski when he was two years old and became devoted to ski-ing and ski-mountaineering.