Daijiworld Media Network – Amaravati
Amaravati, Jun 27: A community-led farming initiative from Andhra Pradesh has won one of the world’s biggest sustainability honours, placing small farmers at the centre of the global environmental movement.
The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme, which now involves around 18 lakh farmers across the state, has been awarded the 2026 Food Planet Prize, considered one of the world’s largest environmental awards focused on transforming food systems.
The $1.5 million prize was presented to APCNF by the Curt Bergfors Foundation in Bastad, Sweden, on June 2.
The recognition comes at a time when agriculture globally is facing challenges due to climate change, including droughts, floods, rising input costs and heavy dependence on chemical fertilisers. APCNF has demonstrated that natural farming practices can help improve climate resilience while reducing dependence on synthetic inputs.
According to APCNF, the model is already being replicated in 22 Indian states as well as Sri Lanka and Zambia.
The award also supports Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of making the state a “100% natural farming state” by 2047 under the Swarna Andhra@2047 roadmap. The programme was launched in 2016 during his previous term.
The jury at Bastad said Andhra Pradesh’s initiative showed how agriculture can become more resilient while reducing dependence on chemical-based farming. The programme’s success has been attributed to women-led self-help groups, more than 10,000 farmer trainers and a community-driven approach.
APCNF promotes Community-Managed Natural Farming, where farmers use natural fertilisers and pesticides through community networks instead of relying on chemical inputs.
What is the Food Planet Prize?
The Food Planet Prize is awarded annually by the Swedish Curt Bergfors Foundation to initiatives capable of transforming the global food system while reducing environmental damage.
The 2026 award received more than 1,000 nominations worldwide, with APCNF emerging as the winner ahead of finalists from the United States and the Netherlands.
The jury described APCNF as one of the most ambitious agroecological transitions undertaken anywhere in the world.
Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Zimbabwean professor and co-chair of the jury, said the programme offers “a scalable pathway for millions of farmers” by improving livelihoods, resilience and environmental outcomes.
Women at the heart of natural farming movement
T Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice Chairman of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), the Andhra Pradesh government-backed body implementing APCNF, said women have played the most important role in the success of the programme.
“The magic is in the women,” he said, adding that the movement began by strengthening women’s groups, building communities and creating a foundation for change.
The initiative is supported by around 3.4 lakh women’s self-help groups and thousands of women community resource persons who promote farmer-to-farmer learning across villages.
Benefits for farmers
APCNF encourages practices such as year-round cover cropping, pre-monsoon dry sowing and soil regeneration techniques based on local knowledge.
The programme says these methods have helped farmers reduce cultivation costs, improve soil health and make farms more resistant to droughts, floods, cyclones and pest attacks.
The prize money will be used to expand demonstration farms, develop implementation tools, support research partnerships, train future natural farming leaders and strengthen the network of farmer scientists.
The award marks a global recognition for a farming model built around small farmers, women’s collectives and community institutions, highlighting India’s growing role in climate-resilient agriculture.