The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme, implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, has won the Food Planet Prize 2026, worth $1.5 million, for leading one of the world’s largest transitions to natural farming. The award was presented in Bastad, Sweden, on Tuesday (June 2, 2026).

The prize, given by the Curt Bergfors Foundation, recognises initiatives that could contribute to resilient, equitable and environmentally sustainable food systems within the next decade. The other finalists, Conscious Kitchen of the United States, NoPalm Ingredients of the Netherlands and the Savanna Institute of the United States, each received $150,000.

How APCNF works

Launched in 2016 by the government of Andhra Pradesh, APCNF is one of the world’s largest community-led transitions to agroecology and natural farming. It is being implemented across 8,168 villages, and about 18 lakh farmer families are enrolled through women’s self-help groups (SHGs) and more than 10,000 farmer trainers, according to a press release by Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture, Sericulture, Cooperation and Marketing) Budithi Rajasekhar.

It is being implemented across 8,168 villages, and about 18 lakh farmer families are enrolled through women’s self-help groups (SHGs) and more than 10,000 farmer trainers, according to a press release by Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture, Sericulture, Cooperation and Marketing) Budithi Rajasekhar.

The APCNF programme gives close, hands-on support to farmers moving to climate-resilient natural farming. It helps them give up synthetic inputs for natural methods drawn from soil science and traditional knowledge. Year-round cover cropping and pre-monsoon dry sowing are among the techniques used. The foundation said the programme had restored degraded land into healthy ecosystems on a large scale and strengthened rural women farmers’ collectives.

Aimed at helping small and marginal farmers, tenant farmers and landless farm workers, APCNF does away with chemicals, cuts input costs and raises crop yields, giving farmers food, nutrition and income security.

The model is being replicated in 21 States and in countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Zambia.