Who pioneered the method of 'natural farming' and wrote 'The One-Straw Revolution'?

Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008), a Japanese farmer and philosopher, developed the method known as "natural farming" (also called "do-nothing farming"). He described his ideas in his famous book "The One-Straw Revolution", published in Japanese in 1975 and in English in 1978.

Background:

• Fukuoka trained as a microbiologist and worked as a plant pathologist (plant disease scientist) in Yokohama.
• In 1937 he left his job and returned to his family farm on the island of Shikoku, where he spent decades developing his methods.

Principles of natural farming (according to Fukuoka):

• No ploughing or tilling: the soil is left undisturbed, so it can cultivate itself through plant roots and soil organisms.
• No chemical fertilisers or prepared compost: soil fertility is maintained by plant residues and ground cover.
• No weeding by tillage or herbicides: weeds are suppressed by ground cover, such as clover and straw, rather than removed.
• No dependence on chemical pesticides: natural balance controls pests.

Methods he used:

• Scattering rice and winter grain seeds directly onto the field, often while the previous crop was still standing.
• Covering the field with straw from the previous harvest, which protects the soil and returns nutrients to it.
• Using "seed balls": seeds coated in clay and mixed with compost, scattered on the land and allowed to germinate when conditions are right.

Recognition:

• He received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1988.
• He influenced organic farming, permaculture and ecological agriculture worldwide.

Natural farming in India:

• Fukuoka visited India in 1988 and influenced Indian farmers and activists.
• Subhash Palekar promoted "Zero Budget Natural Farming" (ZBNF), using local cow dung and urine preparations such as jeevamrutha.
• Andhra Pradesh has run a large Community-Managed Natural Farming programme.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, founded biodynamic agriculture (1924).
• ✗Bill Mollison, an Australian, co-founded permaculture (1970s) with David Holmgren.
• ✗Norman Borlaug was the father of the Green Revolution, based on high-yielding varieties and chemical inputs.