Press Release

For immediate release. More details: www.naturalfarming.global

Brazilian, Sri Lankan and UAE delegations convened by NOW Partners Foundation visit APCNF, the world’s largest and fastest growing agroecology approach to collaborate towards globally scaling regenerative agriculture and food systems transformation

October 2025 — Andhra Pradesh, India: NOW Partners Foundation (NOW) convened a high-level delegation of 30 representatives of Brazil’s government and over 3 million farmers, together with key leaders from Sri Lanka and the U.A.E. to visit the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) that in 9 years scaled from 40,000 to 1.2 million farmers because already in the 1st year of transition farmers increase yields and incomes together with environmental and social regeneration impacts. By 2030 APCNF is expected to be used by over 50% of all farmers of Andhra Pradesh, making it the mainstream of agriculture and agroforestry in this state of over 50 million inhabitants. 

These results caused over 50 countries to request the local adaptation of APCNF, which is led by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), a government institution working closely with farmers and several thousand village communities in Andhra Pradesh and throughout India. To respond to these international requests, RySS asked for the help of NOW that has over 30 years of experience in developing and internationally scaling innovation approaches in agriculture and forestry as well as industry, finance and leadership. As part of their adaptation and scaling efforts with local partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America, NOW and RySS have for example created successful pilot projects in Zambia that demonstrate the APCNF can be successful in very diverse conditions – a very important confirmation, also for this delegation.

For 10 days, the delegates engaged directly with Andhra Pradesh-based farmers who have transitioned to Natural Farming, observing field applications of APCNF’s core principles and methods such as year-round green cover, zero chemical farming and soil microbiome enhancement. This hands-on interaction also highlighted the ecological, social and economic impacts of these regenerative practices, including the effects of successful women’s empowerment and youth engagement which became obvious in APCNF community meetings. The intensive learning and co-innovation journey concluded with a joint strategization session that developed concrete next steps for the collaboration between APCNF and the delegations from Brazil, Sri Lanka and the UAE to contribute with NOW to scaling climate-resilient, farmer-driven transformation across the Southern Hemisphere.

Concrete Outcomes
As a result of this inspiring delegation visit, NOW is collaborating with Brazil’s Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA) to create at least seven Co-Innovation and Implementation Hubs throughout Brazil. These Hubs will also become part of the Global Academy for Productive Forests that MDA and NOW are co-creating as part of TERRA, the COP30 follow up Action Agenda for Agroecology and Agroforestry that the COP Presidency asked MDA, NOW, FAO, AEC and CGIAR to co-lead.

Financing the International Adaptation and Scaling
So far, NOW and RySS have financed these international activities together with their local partners. To scale further, NOW is launching a Multi-donor Grant Fund that will  catalyse Blended Finance investment solutions which are needed to move beyond Proofs of Concepts to mainstreaming Agroecology and Agroforestry around across the Global South.

Stakeholder Perspectives
Ernesto Katsunori Suzuki of CAMTA, Cooperativa Agrícola Mista de Tomé-Açu in the Amazon: “There is a lot for us to rethink in the way of cultivation. We need to adapt, whether it’s the product and crop management, or its fundamentals. We are taking with us learnings to better work with our plants, our environment, and the microbiology of our soil.” 

Joice Lopes of landless farmer movement MST that has over 2 million members across Brazil: “This process and method can foster international cooperation between Brazil and India, another step in the pursuit to increase healthier production, enable us to produce more food to combat hunger, and contribute to public policies focused on family and rural farming.”

Arlete Pantoja Leal from Instituto Internacional de Educação do Brasil:  “The experience of the APCNF women’s groups was very productive, very empowering. It’s a learning experience that I will take with me and apply within my wider community.”

Sandro Souza da Silva, of the UNICAFES Alliance of Cooperatives with over 1 millions members: “In India we learned about productive diversity, with many crops that we also have in Brazil, including banana, cocoa and others. It’s good to be here representing Brazil and the UNICAFES system. We look forward to implementing this knowledge and strategy in Brazil.”

Walter Link, Chair of NOW Partners Foundation: “This was an important step towards co-innovation between some of the  world’s most successful Agroecology and Agroforestry innovators. This co-innovation and the scaling we will do together  will benefit millions of farmers to increase their incomes and overall wellbeing as well as strengthen natural, social and economic systems.”

Contact: info@now.partners

Further information: 
Natural Farming Global: www.naturalfarming.global
TERRA COP30 Action Agenda: www.terraaction.org
Rythu Sadhikara Samstha / APCNF: www.apcnf.in
NOW Partners Foundation: www.now.partners
Global Academy: www.GlobalAcademy.world