Probably more than you think, as veteran investor Warren Buffett stepped down on September 18 from leading one of the world’s largest investment group. Replacing him as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway is his son, Howard, a longtime member of the firm’s board of directors and an innovative self-thought Illinois no-tiller for 34 years.

Founded decades ago by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway has over $1 trillion invested in insurance, energy, railways, residential home sales firms, retail outlets, utilities, industrial equipment, while also holding an extensive stock portfolio.

I’ve known Howard since 1994, thanks to his dedication, exceptional interest and hands-on experience with no-till. He spoke at both the 2010 and 2024 National No-Tillage Conferences (NNTC).

Buffett has long been an advocate for the need for more conservation practices both here in the states and around the world. Besides more than three decade as a no-tiller, Buffett is an avid photographer, businessman, sworn law enforcement officer and former elected local government official.

He is also Chairman of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the U.S. that is headed by President Ann Kelly Boltwn. His Foundation invests primarily in global food security, conflict mitigation and public safety. He also oversees multiple foundation-operated research farms in Arizona, Illinois and Nebraska totaling 9,500 acres.

Buffett has traveled to over 150 countries and authored 8 books on conservation, wildlife, and the human condition, including two New York Times bestsellers.

Spreading the No-Till Message

At the 2024 annual National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Buffett shared numerous lessons learned from his decades of work spreading the message about no-till and conservation-based practices across the world. He described how his foundation had invested over a half billion dollars in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022. These investments were made to help farmers keep producing grain and exports flowing. He stressed why Ukraine’s post-war recovery should include extensive adoption of no-tillage.

A dedicated advocate of no-till farming, Howard Buffett manages a 1,500-acre family farm in central Illinois and he and his son operate another 400-acre farm in Nebraska. Additionally, he oversees several research farms across Arizona, Illinois and Nebraska totaling 9,500 acres.

In the past 2 years, his foundation has purchased millions of dollars of combines, tractors and other ag equipment for use by Ukraine farmers. This has included the design and manufacture of modified cover crop rollers for Ukraine farmers — not for terminating cover crops but for clearing landmines from fields where the explosives have been placed in fields by Russian missiles and soldiers. Besides clearing a serious danger to farmers, the foundation has looked at the impact of these ammunitions on soils and growing plants.

Buffett explained why food security and conflict are interconnected, the successes and challenges with no-till adoption globally and the critical role U.S. no-tillers play in feeding the world while promoting production practices that conserve natural resources.

No-Till Is Only Way To Feed a Hungry Population

Years earlier at our 2010 National No-Tillage Conference, our No-Till Farmer staff and 789 attendees listened intently as Buffett shared his thoughts on the essential role no-till must play in feeding the world’s population.

Stating that it was an honor to speak at the NNTC, he said the farmers in the audience were a living example of the critical and necessary importance to innovate, take risks and challenge old assumptions.

“It’s going to take more than U.S. farmers and our production here at home to solve the challenge of food security, malnutrition and chronic hunger,” he said. “When you look at the barriers of feeding people worldwide, this includes the lack of infrastructure, widespread corruption, poor distribution, limited institutional capacity and many more items.”

At the time of his presentation to the 2010 National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines, Buffett had been no-tilling since 1992 in Illinois and Nebraska as well as 6,000 acres in South Africa. At that time, his Foundation had funded 45 agricultural projects globally, primarily in Africa and Latin America, all based around the many benefits of no-till.

“It‘s a different world and it takes different thought processes and different solutions,” he said. “There’s also a financial cost to all of this; the cost of hunger, medical expenses, lost productivity and lower education that is estimated to exceed over a $1 trillion in a generation’s lifetime.

Addressing Hunger Concerns

Buffett urged 2010 NNTC attendees to utilize every option and technology to grow grains and livestock to feed more people. This included helping poor farmers in developing countries produce more to meet their own food insecurity needs. 

“We still need to address the immediate needs of hungry people,” he added. “We have one of the most abundant and safe food systems available. We pay about the lowest percentage of our income for food than any country in the world. We have more choices for food than almost anywhere in the world and we have access and availability of all types of food.”

SURPRISE GIFT FOR NO-TILLERS. No-till farmer and philanthropist Howard G. Buffett surprised attendees entering the ballroom for the banquet at the 18th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines in 2010. At each of the 789 place settings was his personal gift to no-tillers — his book, “FRAGILE: The Human Condition.” The 320-page book (a $100 value) included personal stories from 65 nations and 440 color photos he had taken dealing with famine and hunger around the world.

New Role for Innovative No-Tiller

So what does Howard Buffett’s new chairman role at Berkshire Hathaway mean to no-tillers?

It means Berkshire Hathaway, with over $1 trillion in investments ,will become even more dedicated to protecting the environment. And at the same time continuing to promote the tremendous value of no-till throughout the world.

Full details on his talk can be found in the video and audio, “Howard G. Buffett, No-Tiller & Philanthropist, Shares ‘Role of No-Till in Feeding the World’ at the  2010 National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines.”