Learning from Andhra Pradesh: Community managed natural farming for climate resilience

Organisers: ICIMOD, Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF)

As part of the Promoting Resilient Agroecological Systems (PRAS) Project, ICIMOD is organising a five-day exposure visit for a delegation from the Government of Nepal to Andhra Pradesh, India. This visit is a part of ICIMOD’s support to the Government of Nepal as a knowledge partner in implementing its Resilient High Value Agricultural Programme (R-HVAP).

The purpose of the visit is to provide the delegation with an opportunity to learn from the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) – one of the world’s largest government-led model on agroecological transitions engaging over 700,000 farmers.

The visit will provide the delegation from the Government of Nepal with practical insights into how large-scale agroecological transition can be implemented through farmer-led processes and strong institutional support. Participants will learn about the integration of agroecology within government systems, the role of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) in strengthening extension services, and mechanisms for linking agroecological practices with markets, finance, and farmer institutions.

Objectives

To learn from APCNF’s design, implementation, and results to refine the R-HVAP implementation strategy for Nepal.

Specific objectives

1. Understand the transition process to agroecology
   Learn how Andhra Pradesh has organised and scaled community-managed natural farming including the role of government, community resource persons, producer organizations, and technical partners.
2. Identify implementation challenges and solutions
   Explore key social, technical, economic, and institutional challenges faced during scaling and the strategies used to address them.
3. Explore the support ecosystem
   Understand the enabling systems for agroecology including extension approaches, bio-input management, market linkages, financing mechanisms, and monitoring frameworks.
4. Strengthen partnerships
   Build connections with APCNF institutions and partners to foster collaboration, learning exchange, and joint initiatives.
5. Apply lessons to Nepal’s context
   Develop actionable insights and strategies for scaling agroecological practices in R-HVAP provinces (Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim).

Participants

The delegation will include senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Government of Nepal as well as representatives from the Provincial Ministries of Agriculture in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim provinces, Nepal.

Background

The PRAS project, supported by the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) a UK Government initiative, promotes agroecological transition to resilient and commercially viable agroecological farming systems. It focuses on building the capacity of diverse stakeholders in agroecological policy, planning and practice in Nepal’s western provinces, while supporting cross-border knowledge exchange with partners in India.

The Resilient High Value Agriculture Programme (R-HVAP) is a multi-stakeholder programme in Nepal, financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Its core development objective is to ‘transition smallholder farming towards sustainable food systems that are profitable, inclusive and agroecological’. This transition emphasizes moving away from input-heavy models toward agroecological systems that enhance biodiversity, soil health, climate resilience, and farm-based economies.

Through this exposure visit, ICIMOD aims to enhance policy-level understanding, strengthen government ownership, and support the development of a clear, evidence-informed scale-up strategy for agroecological transition under R-HVAP in Nepal.

Why Andhra Pradesh?

Located on the southeastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal and encompassing both fertile deltas and hilly, tribal inhabited uplands, Andhra Pradesh hosts one of the world’s most ambitious natural farming programmes “the Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative”.

APCNF is a state-led programme working with 8 million farming households across 6 million hectares of farmland. Built on the principles of Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), APCNF promotes a complete shift from chemical-based to natural, regenerative agriculture. Its scope extends beyond farming techniques to transform the entire food system, enhancing environmental sustainability, rural incomes, and community well-being.

Recognized internationally, APCNF demonstrates how large-scale government policy, institutional innovation, and farmer-led action can converge to deliver climate resilience, ecological restoration, and inclusive economic growth.