Despite his advanced years, Masanobu traveled around the world and struck a chord with many people through his “dialogue with nature.” His approach was more than just farming concepts; it was a philosophy of farming with a significant impact on the way people would continue living their lives.

Worthy of mention are his seed pellets for greening deserts. The ecosystem imbalances caused by the deterioration of the natural environment are a major threat to humanity and are causing starvation and poverty. This is no doubt a consequence of human action. Masanobu thought it imperative to tackle these issues, so he made seed pellets for a diverse variety of plants and disseminated them across desertified or devastated land. His efforts to bring nature back to life are lauded as one of his major achievements.

He did not use any single type of plant, because he was concerned about the modern and ego-centric propensity of humans to ignore the balance of nature.

The fact is that ecosystems comprise organic relationships between diverse plants and animals, so an overemphasis on balance conflicts with the natural order.

As a result of his accomplishments, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, then-Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, awarded Masanobu the university’s highest honorary degree, stating that natural farming is the method for cultivating truth. In the same year, Masanobu was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in the Philippines, which is often referred to as “Asia’s Nobel Prize.” Later, he became the first recipient of the Earth Council Award, which is presented to people who contribute to the conservation of the global environment.

Masanobu’s cross-border activities, which he vigorously pursued even into his 90s, are regarded as a mission for life that transcended the boundaries of human race.