“And I gently explain and bring them on this journey. You’re not giving up anything; you will gain so much more by planting or regenerating the right kinds of trees and managing them the right ways.
“Instead of it being an impact on your wallet, in the long run it’s probably going to end up benefiting you immensely - your health and sense of wellbeing. I have friends who are doing this regenerative agriculture; they’re debt-free, much less stressed, and still profitable.”
In Sub-Saharan Niger, where Rinaudo first developed his now world-famous method of farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) in the 1980s, he says crop yields doubled for the farms that chose to embrace it.
And even in the West, where agriculture is considered more sophisticated, he believes there are significant benefits to be had from leaning into nature, rather than trying to bend it to our own will.
“[In the West], our agriculture will never be wilderness by definition, but there’s no reason for it to be a sterile, biological desert,” he told Real Life.
“There are so many benefits [to FMNR], particularly as the climate changes; it’ll reduce your costs and increase the productivity and the sustainability of that land.
“There’s much that we can do, like conservation agriculture, where you’re not turning the soil over and exposing it to the elements; or agroforestry, where you have the right types of trees interspersed with your crops or your livestock.
“There are many, many different nature-based solutions. We can work more in tune with nature as opposed to fighting it and destroying it.”
Rinaudo’s passion and advocacy for regenerative agriculture stems from a mission trip he and his wife Liz went on to Niger in 1981, where the harsh desert-like conditions had made growing food impractical for local farmers.
He had discovered a tree that, when pruned, was able to grow quickly, creating a micro-climate that improved soil fertility and made it easier to grow crops.
Rinaudo advocated for farmers to embrace this tree - which previously, having not known its potential, they had treated like a weed - and over time it had an incredible effect.
“There were a few hiccups along the way, because people don’t like to change what they’re doing very easily, but in time, it spread across that country at the rate of a quarter of a million hectares per year,” Rinaudo told Cowan.
“After 20 years there were 200 million trees, without planting a single one.”
Today, through his work with World Vision, these trees spread across eight countries, and the FMNR method has been introduced to 29 countries and is making a significant difference.
Rinaudo, a Christian, says he has always believed God wanted to use him to make a difference and to reduce the suffering of people in strife.
“It’s a wonderful motivation: how can we repair this situation and help people to live dignified, healthy and happy lives?” he said.
“This is a story of hope because in the most unlikely place, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, in one of the poorest countries in the world, under extremely difficult conditions, is a very positive story of transformation.
“I’m very blessed to have had that life experience. Today, as I travel around the world, so many people are anxious and hopeless about the future. And I can say, if under those conditions those people can affect such a positive change, what’s our excuse?”
Real Life is a weekly interview show where John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in Sundays from 7.30pm on Newstalk ZB or listen to the latest full interview here.
