Persistent concerns for smallholder farmers include food insecurity, unaffordable costs of chemical inputs, and failed crops due to extreme weather. The APCNF (Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming) model, an economically successful, innovative agroecology method, has addressed these challenges for over one million farmers in India, and now for the first time - in multiple pilot locations in Zambia.
APCNF methods strengthen soil microbiology and hydrology, leading to increased farmer incomes, crop yields, soil health, biodiversity and climate resilience. Elimination of chemical inputs reduces costs, strengthens water and food security, increases nutrients and other health benefits for farmers and consumers. These science-backed results apply to diverse crops, geographic and climate conditions.
In the Zambia Natural Farming Pilots, APCNF's unique agroecological innovations have achieved promising results: higher yields, reduced costs, increased food security and improved climate resilience for smallholder farmers.
This breakthrough was made possible through the adaptation of the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) model of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), the world’s largest and most economically successful agroecology approach. This was an outcome of the partnership among NOW Partners Foundation (NOW), RySS, and national partners including the Zambian government, the Salesian Sisters’ Valponasca Learning Farm, and the Jesuit Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre.
KEY POINTS:
- Learn how APCNF's agroecology innovations are adapted for new geographical, climatic and cultural conditions in Zambia.
- Learn how NOW and RySS constructed a partnership of organizations aligned towards common scalable, goals.
- Hear the amazing results observed in the first year of the Natural Farming pilots in Lusaka and Luwingu.
- Learn the strategy for effectively adapting and scaling a science-backed method to new contexts.
- Learn how Natural Farming benefits farmers, driving regional economic development
