Image Credits: APCNF and Rythu Sadhikaraka Samstha (RySS)
GUNTUR (ANDHRA PRADESH): The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative, launched in 2015 by the Rythu Sadhikaraka Samstha (RySS) and the state government, is gaining international acclaim as a transformative model for sustainable agriculture. Rythu Sadhikaraka Samstha can be read in English as Farmer Empowerment Organisation. The APCNF is being implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha as per GO RT No. 764, dated November 10, 2016. By promoting chemical-free and cost-effective farming practices, the program has benefitted over a million farmers across thousands of villages, positioning itself as a vital solution to the pressing challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.
The APCNF’s influence has spread beyond Andhra Pradesh, providing technical and academic assistance to ten other Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, as well as countries like Zambia. Ongoing discussions are in progress with nations such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Kenya, and the UAE for future collaborations.
A recent delegation from Mexico spent a week in Andhra Pradesh, touring farms in Rayalaseema and Eluru districts. Nilda Cecilia Elizondo, a researcher with the HLPE-CFS on Food Security and Nutrition, remarked that APCNF provides a viable global solution to food security challenges.