VIJAYAWADA, 30 June 2025: The Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme, operated by the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), is expanding its influence beyond India’s borders with a new pilot initiative in Sri Lanka, officials confirmed.
Since its inception, APCNF has enrolled over 1.13 million farmers and engaged more than 4,000 villages, earning global recognition for its community-led, women-driven, and ecologically balanced approach. Building on pilot projects in Indonesia and Zambia, the Sri Lanka initiative is the latest step in promoting agroecological practices internationally.
The Sri Lanka pilot, which commenced on June 26, is being launched in partnership with the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement — the country’s largest community development organisation — along with NOW Partners, an international sustainability-focused group based in Luxembourg.
Sarvodaya leaders first explored the APCNF programme in Andhra Pradesh in 2023, followed by a Sri Lankan farmer exposure visit in early 2025. A feasibility study by RySS confirmed alignment with Sri Lanka’s farming goals, resulting in a formal partnership.
A six-member RySS technical team, including champion farmers, is now stationed in Sri Lanka across two agro-ecological zones. During the Yala season (May–August), they will train five farmers in each location to become local natural farming champions. These champions will then mentor ten more farmers each in the Maha season (September–March), creating a cascading model of knowledge sharing and community-led scale-up.
The pilot is slated to run through both agricultural seasons until December 2026, with ongoing support from Sarvodaya and other stakeholders to ensure sustainable implementation.
“APCNF’s approach offers a proven, scalable path to agroecological resilience,” said a RySS spokesperson. “Sri Lanka’s communities will benefit from this hands-on, farmer-driven transformation.”
Image credit: renasl.org
