VIJAYAWADA: The AP Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme has been named one of four global finalists for the prestigious 2026 Food Planet Prize, marking the first time an Indian initiative has reached the finalist stage since the award was established in 2020.
The Food Planet Prize, instituted in 2019 by the Curt Bergfors Foundation in Sweden, is the world’s largest environmental award focused on transforming global food systems. This year’s competition drew over 1,000 nominations worldwide, narrowed to a list of 35 initiatives from 19 countries across six continents. From India, six programmes were shortlisted, but APCNF is the only one to advance to the final round.
It currently reaches over 1.8 million farmers across 900,000 hectares in 8,168 Gram Panchayats. It reduces environmental impact by cutting chemical inputs, lowering water use by 50–60 percent, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23–60 percent. APCNF engages more than 3 million women, promoting farmer-led adoption through public systems.
The Food Planet Prize awards USD 1.5 million (Rs 14 crore) to the winner and USD 150,000 (Rs 1.4 crore) to each finalist. Past winners include NitroCapt (Sweden) in 2025 for low-emission fertilizer technology and C40 Food Systems in 2024 for advancing sustainable food systems in major cities.
The Food Planet Prize jury will convene in June 2026 at Båstad, Sweden.