L. Narayan Reddy, 84, a pioneer of organic farming in Karnataka, passed away in his sleep on Monday at his Marenahalli farm near Doddaballapur. He was known as Karnataka’s Masanobu Fukuoka, after the pioneer organic farmer of Japan. Mr. Fukuoka had even visited his farm in 1988.

Known for his simplicity and practical approach to farming, Mr. Reddy never minced words when he criticised what he called the “lopsided agricultural policy” that rendered agriculture unsustainable. He hailed from a village near Varthur on the city’s outskirts and started with chemical farming in 1970s, only to soon realise that it was unsustainable and he was incurring losses.

Influenced by Fukuoka’s book on farming, he took to organic farming. “Organic farming is not just about mere cultivation practices but is a lifestyle in itself,” he argued, adding that agriculture was a philosophy of living in harmony with nature.

Following the rapid urbanisation of Varthur, he bought land at Marenahalli near Doddaballapur and built his farm there in his old age. Though he was not formally educated in farming, he was known for experiments and a scientific approach to farming. Several foreign universities sent their students on study visits to his farm. He was awarded the Nadoja award and an honorary doctorate from Kannada University, Hampi.

Jagadish Reddy, his grandson, told The Hindu that Mr. Reddy, who stayed healthy till the end, rarely went to the hospital. “He had been suffering from an incessant cough for a week. He agreed to get a full body check-up done on Sunday evening. We were supposed to take him on Monday morning. But he passed away in his sleep,” he said.