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Published on October 21, 2007

Reading: “The OneStraw Revolution” by Masanobu Fukuoka

“This book introduces the idea of natural farming, a method that uses no fertiliser, chemicals or machines. After 30 years of trial and tribulation, Fukuoka has found that his method of natural farming yields a bigger harvest than expected. It’s a farming method that could cause Japan’s major fertiliserproducing conglomerates to collapse, because people would think that fertilisers are no longer useful. As a result, Fukuoka has been dubbed the god of Japan’s agriculture. He says the best way to manage his farm is to do nothing, not add anything to it. But it’s clear that his soil management techniques are simple and clever. The result is the kind of sustainable agriculture that does no harm to the environment. Above all, the book offers an engaging discussion of what development should be like. The author’s philosophy is that development is all about removing unnecessary elements, not adding them. I’m so touched by his wisdom that I’ve applied his development philosophy to my commercial work.”