Masanobu Fukuoka, the pioneer of "natural" farming, which eschews plowing, weeding, and fertilizers or pesticides, died at his home in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture, on Aug. 16, his family said. He was 95.

Fukuoka was the author of The One Straw Revolution, a book that has been translated into English, Korean, Thai and several other languages. He received the Deshikottam Award, India's most prestigious award, and the Philippines' Ramon Magsaysay award, known as the Asian Nobel Prize, for public service, both in 1988.

He advocated natural farming in various parts of Asia and Africa, and made efforts at reversing desertification using such ideas as enclosing seeds in clay pellets.