By Marie Bartz*
In the early 1970s, while there were already some research initiatives and government programs focused on soil conservation — especially in Brazil’s southern and southeastern regions — a new kind of movement was taking root in northern Paraná. This time, it wasn’t led by scientists or politicians, but by the farmers themselves. Tired of watching their lands being washed away by erosion, they began taking matters into their own hands, starting a grassroots revolution to protect the soil that sustained their livelihoods.
One particular farmer, Herbert Bartz, refused to accept the loss of his soil, grains, and fertilizer to erosion. His property, the legendary Rhenânia Farm, located in the city of Rolândia, and where he was upset about watching his most precious asset — his soil — being washed away by heavy downpours, taking down the slopes into the river. Bartz sought help from agronomist Rolf Derpsch, who was part of a German mission working in partnership with the Southern Agricultural Research and Experimentation Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture.
After reading some articles recommended by Derpsch about a method called “No-Tillage” being used in the United States, Bartz decided to travel abroad in search of alternatives to protect his soil. He first went to Europe but found nothing that could help him. It was in the US, however, where he met farmer Harry Young Jr. in Kentucky, introduced by agronomist Shirley Phillips, that he finally found the solution he was seeking.
Mr. Young had been practicing No-Tillage (NT) farming for ten years. After a long and inspiring conversation among Bartz, Young, and Phillips, Bartz placed an order for an Allis Chalmers NT planter to be sent to Brazil, marking a turning point in his farming practices and, later, in the history of soil conservation in the country.
But things weren’t exactly easy for Bartz. When he returned to Brazil, he had just 10 dollars in his pocket — and still hadn’t finished paying for his plane ticket. To make matters worse, he arrived home only to find that a severe frost had destroyed his wheat crop. As if that weren’t enough, his own father refused to co-sign a loan for the upcoming summer planting, accusing Bartz of using all this “innovation talk” as an excuse to work less. Then came another blow: when the Allis Chalmers NT planter finally arrived at the port of Santos, it was hit with a high import tax of up to 40%, under the claim that a similar machine was already being produced in Brazil.
But Bartz’s conviction that NT was the solution never wavered. Despite the hindrances, he sold nearly all of his farm equipment, keeping only the new planter, a tractor, and a combine. On October 23, 1972, he carried out his first soybean planting using the NT system. What was initially planned as a test on just 10% of his land quickly turned into a leap of faith, and he planted all 200 hectares using the new method.
His stubbornness and refusal to return to conventional tillage with plows and harrows earned him the nickname “the crazy German from Rolândia who planted in the weeds.” Bartz used to say, “I’d rather lose my soybeans to the weeds than lose my precious soil to erosion.”
Ironically, the harvest from that very first NT crop was seized by the Federal Police under the claim that, having been grown through a “suspicious” method, it might be unfit for consumption.
Bartz’s “madness” echoed far beyond his home region. His bold move caught the attention of scientists, academics, politicians, and, most importantly, other farmers. These farmers started visiting him to understand what he was doing. So, little by little, NT began to spread across the state: to Campo Mourão in 1973, Mauá da Serra in 1974, and the Campos Gerais region by 1976.
When Bartz joined forces with Nonô Pereira and Franke Dijkstra in the Campos Gerais region, the trio soon became known as the “Three Musketeers” of the No-Tillage movement in Brazil. Driven by a shared passion and unwavering determination, they devoted their time, energy, and personal resources to spreading the practice across the country.
In 1979, they founded the Clube da Minhoca (Earthworm Club) — an entity where farmers and supporters could share experiences, exchange knowledge, and work together to improve and refine NT. This club became the “mother” of hundreds of Clubes Amigos da Terra (Soil Friends Clubs) that later sprang up throughout the Southern, Southeast, and Central-eastern regions of Brazil, creating a network of farmers united by the same mission.
By 1992, the Earthworm Club evolved into the Brazilian No-Tillage System Federation. Since then, this non-profit organization has played a key role in promoting the expansion and implementation of No-Tillage farming throughout the country and the world.
In the beginning, not everyone regarded the implementation of No-Tillage farming in Brazil as a reasonable move. Some scientists and researchers viewed the farmers’ decision to embrace this new practice — without prior scientific validation — as risky, even reckless. However, it was precisely this boldness from the agricultural sector, especially the farmers and the input and machinery suppliers, that drove a quiet revolution in the field. They sought out alternatives that would reduce the impact of soil degradation and pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient form of agricultural intensification.
While academia and research institutions initially remained in the background, their involvement grew over time. As collaboration strengthened, what began as a practical response to erosion became something much greater: the No-Tillage System (NTS).
NTS is grounded in three key principles — permanent soil cover, minimal soil disturbance, and crop diversification through the use of cover crops — all of which enhance biodiversity and biological processes both above and below ground. The impact of this model didn’t go unnoticed. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) would later refer to Brazil’s approach as a benchmark for “Conservation Agriculture.”
Over the past 53 years, NTS has helped turn Brazil from a major food importer into one of the world’s agricultural powerhouses. Many technologies were instrumental in this change, but none of them would have had the same impact without the healthier soils made possible by NTS. What’s remarkable is that this wasn’t a top-down decision — it started with farmers who wanted to protect their soil from washing away during heavy rains.
Over time, companies and scientists joined forces with farmers, adding new tools, knowledge, and practices. As the system evolved, it also began to help protect water resources. Later, research showed that rotating crops under NTS could even help capture carbon from the atmosphere and support the return of life to the soil. These findings strengthened the system and helped spread its use even further.
The success of NTS in Brazil shows what’s possible when everyone — from farmers to scientists — works together. It’s a story of innovation, resilience, and cooperation that can inspire other parts of the world looking for sustainable ways to grow food and care for the planet.
If you want to learn more about this extraordinary Brazilian farmers’ revolution, please research these publications:
“No-Tillage System: A genuine Brazilian technology that meets current global demands – Advances in Agronomy”
“The Legacy of Herbert Bartz: the No-Tillage System Pioneer” – available at Amazon.com as a Kindle version