MASANOBU FUKUOKA

Masanobu Fukuoka was not only an agronomist, but a philosopher, a farmer and a quiet revolutionary. His work laid the foundations of what is now known as natural farming, offering a radically different way of relating to the land — one based on trust, observation and restraint rather than control.

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Originally trained as a microbiologist and plant pathologist, Fukuoka experienced a profound inner shift that led him to question the very direction of modern agriculture. He came to see that many human interventions, though well-intentioned, were often attempts to fix problems created by previous interference. From this insight, his lifelong experiment began: to farm by doing less, not more.

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Fukuoka called his agricultural philosophy shizen nōhō (自然農法), most commonly translated into English as “natural farming”. It is also referred to as “the Fukuoka Method” or “Do-Nothing Farming”.

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Fukuoka’s approach is often summarized through four simple principles — no plowing, no fertilizing, no weeding and no pesticides — yet these are not rules to apply mechanically. They are expressions of a deeper understanding: that nature, when not disturbed, has an innate capacity to organize, regenerate and sustain itself.

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Central to his vision was the idea of “do-nothing farming”, a phrase frequently misunderstood. It does not mean negligence or passivity, but a refined attentiveness — acting only when truly necessary, and allowing natural processes to do what they already know how to do. Farming, for Fukuoka, was a practice of humility and listening.

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His book "The One-Straw Revolution" spread these ideas far beyond Japan, inspiring farmers, gardeners, educators and communities around the world. What he proposed was not a method to maximize yields, but a way to restore balance — between humans and nature, between effort and trust, between knowledge and not-knowing.

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At Natural Farm Shizen, Fukuoka’s work is not followed as a doctrine, but lived as an inspiration. His spirit is present in the attention given to the soil, in the patience to observe, and in the willingness to step back and let life unfold. More than techniques, it is his attitude — simple, radical and deeply respectful — that continues to guide the practice.

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Fukuoka reminded us that agriculture is never only about food. It is a mirror of how we see the world, and how we see ourselves within it.

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Fukuoka's books:

• The One Straw Revolution

• The Road Back to Nature

• Sowing Seeds in The Desert

• The Natural Way of Farming

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