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Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming Program Wins 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity

Jul 15, 2024 by Mansi 0 Comments #Andhra Pradesh, #APCNF, #Gulbenkian Prize, #IPCC, #Natural Farming Program

Lisbon, Portugal & Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India July 15, 2024
The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) program, led by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, has been awarded the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity 2024. The announcement was made by Dr. Angela Merkel, chair of the Jury and former Federal Chancellor of Germany, during a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on July 11th. The event was attended by dignitaries including the President of Portugal and other government officials, alongside experts from around the world.

APCNF shares the €1 million prize with Dr. Rattan Lal, a renowned soil scientist from the USA, and SEKEM, an Egyptian network promoting biodynamic farming. The Jury and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation recognized their collaborative efforts in advancing sustainable agriculture through both scientific research and practical applications. The prize money will support scaling their initiatives and fostering further sustainable agriculture projects globally.

The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), a state-wide program of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, has been recognized for its significant contributions to global food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem protection. This initiative specifically supports smallholder farmers, with a focus on empowering predominantly women farmers.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, among the world’s largest philanthropies, has acknowledged the significance of sustainable agriculture solutions through the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. Awarding €1 million, the Prize honours exceptional contributions to climate action and solutions that inspire optimism and potential. Instituted in 2020 by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (CGF), previous recipients include notable figures like climate youth activist Greta Thunberg, and organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This marks the first occasion the award has been bestowed in India.

The independent jury of the Prize for Humanity, chaired by Dr. Angela Merkel (former Chancellor of Germany), has chosen the 2024 winners from over 181 nominations worldwide. This year saw the highest number of nominations received by the Foundation, spanning more geographies than ever before. The 2024 Prize emphasizes the interconnected nature of climate-related challenges, highlighting how they lead to systemic crises. Climate change is worsening biodiversity loss, extreme weather events, and resource degradation, which in turn disrupt global food systems and human health. Additionally, agriculture plays a significant role in climate change through carbon emissions, land and water degradation, and biodiversity loss.

The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme was launched in 2016 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to support smallholder farmers in transitioning from chemically intensive agriculture to natural farming. This transition includes practices such as using organic residues, minimizing tillage to improve soil health, reintroducing indigenous seeds, and diversifying crops, including trees. APCNF is implemented by the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), also known as the Farmers Empowerment Corporation, a non-profit entity established by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. It is recognized as the world’s largest agroecology programme in terms of the number of practicing farmers.

Over a million smallholder farmers are enrolled in the APCNF programme, practicing natural farming across 500,000 hectares in Andhra Pradesh. The programme offers farmers reduced costs, reduced risks, stable yields, improved incomes, and health benefits from the very first season of transition. It generates significant environmental and social benefits, including greater soil carbon sequestration, reversing land degradation, reducing soil temperatures, and increasing biodiversity.

The success of APCNF relies on four key levers:

  • Delivery through an established network of women collectives.
  • Farmer-to-farmer learning via ‘Champion Farmers’.
  • A dynamic technology blend of the best Indian practices, modern science, and ongoing farmer innovations.
  • Strong government ownership.

The APCNF programme aims to reach all eight million farmer and farm worker households in Andhra Pradesh over the next 10 years and inspire replication elsewhere. The model is already being incubated in 12 states across India and will be introduced in a few countries in the Global South in 2024, adapted to their local contexts.

The award was received by Mr. Vijay Kumar Thallam, Executive Vice Chairman of RySS and Advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and Mrs. Nagendramma Nettem, a Champion Farmer Coach from APCNF.

Upon receiving the Prize, Mr. T. Vijay Kumar shared in his winning speech: “This award gives HOPE to everyone in the world that there is a very powerful and ‘ready to use’ solution for the climate emergency. Together, we have learned that farming in harmony with nature can reverse climate change; farmers can improve their livelihoods and their health while healing the planet; and women collectives hold the key to scaling this powerful solution. Therefore, investing in farmers and women collectives is critical for building a better life on planet Earth.”

“On behalf of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, I am happy to announce that the entire prize money received from this award will be used for the global scaling of natural farming. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has decided to utilize the prize payment to create a structured technical assistance model for APCNF to share its knowledge, expertise, and skills on natural farming with more countries in the Global South, thereby incubating the natural farming model across many countries.”

Angela Merkel, President of the Jury, says: “Access to high-quality food is of existential importance to everyone. Climate change and the resulting global warming have led to an increase in extreme weather events and are endangering food security around the world. This presents everyone engaged in the agriculture sphere with particular challenges. This year’s winners have demonstrated in an exemplary fashion how climate-resilient and sustainable food systems can be developed and put into practice.”

António Feijó, President of the Board of Trustees of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, says: “We are honoured to recognize the recipients for their pioneering work in sustainable agriculture and offering innovative solutions to global food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem protection. Each winner has demonstrated exceptional commitment to transforming agricultural practices, proving that sustainable models can thrive in diverse and challenging environments. Their work also demonstrates the co-benefits of sustainable agriculture for communities as well as the planet. We believe their stories will inspire others to apply similar approaches in other regions and help us build a sustainable future for all.”

The Prize is an initiative of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, rewarding individuals and organizations who are leading society’s efforts to tackle the biggest challenges facing humanity today: climate change and nature loss. With an award of €1 million, the Prize recognizes outstanding contributions to climate action and solutions that inspire hope and possibility.

In the history of the Prize awarded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation:

  • 2020: Awarded to Greta Thunberg.
  • 2021: Awarded to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
  • 2022: Jointly awarded to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
  • 2023: Jointly awarded to Bandi “Apai Janggut” (customary community leader, Indonesia), Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet (activist and agronomist, Cameroon), and Lélia Wanick Salgado (environmentalist, designer, and scenographer, Brazil).

 Mr. Budithi Rajsekhar, Special Chief Secretary of the Agriculture, Sericulture, Co-operation, Marketing, Agriculture & Co-operation Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said:

“I am elated to hear that the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Programme has won the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity 2024 award. This historic moment is a salute to the 8.5 million women’s Self Help Groups mobilized across Andhra Pradesh over the last 25 years, that formed the backbone of the launch of APCNF. I am also grateful to the Honorable Chief Minister and all my colleagues at the Government of Andhra Pradesh who propelled the APCNF model over the last 9 years.

On behalf of the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) and Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the Gulbenkian Foundation and the esteemed jury of the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity for selecting the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) as the joint winner of this year’s prize. What makes this prize even more special for APCNF is that we are honored to share it with two esteemed experts doing pathbreaking work in regenerative agriculture – SEKEM and Dr. Rattan Lal. Warm congratulations from us to both of them.”

The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity prize money will be used by APCNF towards accelerating our efforts to transition all 8 million farmers and farm workers in Andhra Pradesh, inspiring a national effort for the transformation of 120 million farmers across India, and promoting better South-South cooperation to address the climate emergency. This initiative aims to improve farmers’ livelihoods and enhance global food and nutrition security.

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Dvara KGFS Enters Andhra Pradesh with dollar10M Investment Boost

Jul 9, 2024 by Mansi 0 Comments #Andhra Pradesh, #Dvara KGFS, #Mr. LVLN Murty, #Ms. Shilpa Bhatter

Hyderabad, 9th July 2024 – Dvara Kshetriya Gramin Financial Services Private Limited (Dvara KGFS), a leading rural NBFC, dedicated to fostering financial inclusion in deep rural villages across India, increases its footprints by entering Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, Dvara KGFS has also successfully raised Subordinated Debt of USD 5 million and Senior Secured Debt of USD 5 million through External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) from Triple Jump as Portfolio Manager of the Global Gender-Smart Fund.

The Global Gender-Smart Fund (GGSF), co-managed by Triple Jump, is a leading gender-lens investment fund. Its strategy addresses the gender gap by equitably providing responsible and accessible financial services to traditionally underserved women as well as women-owned and women-led businesses in developing markets. The GGSF seeks to improve livelihoods, promote women’s leadership, and enhance gender balance within financial institutions.

Triple Jump is an impact investor who believes investing in entrepreneurship will unlock the potential to overcome global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate, and nature. Their mission is to invest capital that empowers people and improves lives.

Commenting on the successful fundraiser, Mr. LVLN Murty, Managing Director & CEO, Dvara KGFS, stated, “Partnering again with Triple Jump reinforces our shared vision of financial inclusion. This funding will strengthen our financial foundation and enable us to reach more under-resourced communities with more use-case financing solutions. The proceeds from the fundraiser will be used towards providing Micro Enterprise loans to Women beneficiaries. The company recognizes its Enterprise Loans product as a key growth driver and in an endeavour to shore up the portfolio, the company has forayed into the new geography of Andhra Pradesh. With this foray, the company has now diversified its presence to 11 states across the country.”

Ms. Shilpa Bhatter, CFO, Dvara KGFS, added, “Securing this debt from the GGSF, which is the second round of financing from Triple Jump, a like-minded impact investment manager, is a testament to our robust financial health and firm commitment to foster financial inclusion in the space where it matters the most. The subordinated Debt Facility will help fortify our Capital Adequacy and provide the desired runway for the company to achieve its growth initiatives.”

business

Election Fallout – Will Hyderabad’s Realty Market Falter

Jun 11, 2024 by Gayathri Pariti 0 Comments #ANAROCK Group, #ANAROCK Research, #Andhra Pradesh, #Election Fallout, #Housing Sales, #Hyderabad’s Realty Market Falter, #IT firms, #Mr. N Chandrababu Naidu, #Prashant Thakur

11 June 2024 – The Hyderabad real estate market will be significantly affected by the outcomes of the recent general election. On the back of a strong political comeback, there is likely to be greater emphasis on infrastructure and pro-business policies. This will draw in more IT firms and other industries, increasing the demand for commercial real estate.

Fresh development initiatives and improved connectivity may draw additional investment to remote locations.

Housing Sales

According to ANAROCK Research, Hyderabad’s residential market has exhibited robust growth between 2021 and Q1 2024, with a cumulative total of approximately 218,800 new residential units launched and 154,300 units sold. 2023 witnessed a peak in activity, recording nearly 76,300 units launched and 61,700 units sold.

This represents a significant increase of 48% and 143% respectively, compared to figures from 2021.

Housing Prices

Prashant Thakur, Regional Director & Head – Research, ANAROCK Group, says, “Property values in Hyderabad also saw a substantial rise between 2021 and Q1 2024. On average, prices appreciated by 45%, reaching INR 6,350/sqft in Q1 2024 from INR 4,372/sqft in 2021.”

West Hyderabad, the zone with the highest concentration of office spaces, has seen even stronger growth. “Average residential capital values in this region have increased by 52% in the same period. Currently, the average price per square foot stands at INR 7,200,” says Thakur. Land prices, which had appreciated by over 30% in the last three years, have contributed significantly to the price hikes.”.

The peoples’ mandate in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh with a large majority and an important ally at the center may lead to moderation of real estate growth in Hyderabad. Land prices in Hyderabad had appreciated by over 30% in the last 3 years. This had influenced prices rises across asset classes in the city.

Conceivably, the volume of residential real estate launches in the city may also rationalize as investors and buyers scout for competitive opportunities in Andhra Pradesh – which is expected to witness a surge in development along the new growth corridors.

Andhra Pradesh’s potential development can be a double-edged sword for Hyderabad real estate. However, the overall impact is likely to be positive as Andhra Pradesh’s growth could spark a ripple effect, attracting businesses and investors to the entire region.

This could lead to increased demand for office and commercial space in Hyderabad, especially along key corridors like the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway. This area is already being primed for development with infrastructure projects and industrial parks, making it a potential growth engine for Hyderabad real estate.

While the outlook is promising, there are challenges. Some out-migration of businesses or residents to Andhra Pradesh is possible, especially if AP offers lucrative incentives. This could draw some investments away from Hyderabad, leading to a temporary correction in Hyderabad’s real estate prices and a potential dip in the commercial real estate market.

However, the presence of a large talent pool and developed infrastructure of the city, with enhanced connectivity, could make it difficult for companies to venture into a new state in the short term. While Hyderabad’s established infrastructure, strong IT base, and cosmopolitan character are unlikely to diminish significantly, the impact on the city’s real estate market will be influenced by how development unfolds in Andhra Pradesh.

Strong Fundamentals

Hyderabad is the nearest mega cosmopolitan centre for both the states, and this makes it an attractive destination of the population of the neighbouring cities and towns. It is a preferred location for the people from Andhra Pradesh, as the city offer opportunities for higher education, employment, entertainment, advanced healthcare needs and shopping for special occasions.

It is therefore not surprising that there is significant influx of housing buyers from the adjoining state.

Hyderabad’s real estate boom has strong fundamentals driving it. The city’s IT-ITeS sector, infrastructure development, and overall business ecosystem are likely to sustain demand for quality housing and commercial spaces.

The city’s economic activities are well diversified and not limited only to the services sector. There are equally strong and able industrial, manufacturing and logistics sectors along with healthcare and education that drive the demand for real estate in the city. Property price appreciation might be moderate going forward. However, a drastic decline seems unlikely, given the strong underlying demand. Overall, the long-term outlook for Hyderabad’s real estate market remains positive. Nevertheless, national market trends and the evolving situation in Andhra Pradesh bear watching.

Development of Amaravati

Mr. N Chandrababu Naidu has already proved his mettle in developing Hyderabad as a major city with world class infrastructure, and was successful in attracting major IT-ITeS, pharmaceutical and industrial companies to the state. This has been instrumental in generating employment and attracting talent from across the country, thus also spurring rapid real estate development. Now, the recently concluded election mandate has renewed the prospects of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh.

While this dream project was shelved by the previous government, there are now very distinct possibilities of its revival. However, developments of a new capital city and the massive eco-system it entails is a task of epic proportions. Despite all political will and support, it will take time to fructify – and to emerge as real competition to Hyderabad.

business

United Way Bengaluru Launches ‘Mangroves Matter’: A Campaign to Restore Mangrove Ecosystems Started revitalizing mangrove ecosystems at Pulicat near Chennai

May 27, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #' Mangroves Matter', #'jungle of roots', #'Mangroves Matter' campaign, #2024, #Andhra Pradesh, #brackish water body, #Chennai, #COP28, #ecosystems, #India's second-largest brackish water body., #Karnataka, #Kerala, #Mangrove, #Pulicat, #Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu, #Pulicat region, #Rajesh Krishnan, #Sriram Ananthanarayanan, #Tamil, #Tamil Nadu, #United Way Bengaluru, #United Way Bengaluru (UWBe), #water body., #World Wetlands Day

Mangroves at Pulicat 2

Bengaluru, May 27, 2024: Recent reports indicate a staggering loss of about 35% of mangroves between 1996 and 2010 highlighting a concerning trend in environmental degradation. Mangrove ecosystems play a significant role in stabilizing coastlines, making their preservation crucial for the environment and inhabitants. Mangroves are a natural solution to climate change, the paramount global threat. They can sequester carbon at a rate five times greater than tropical forests.

Responding to this urgent need, United Way Bengaluru (UWBe) has launched an ambitious and impactful campaign, ‘ Mangroves Matter’, to revitalize mangrove ecosystems. The first foot is at Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu, a coastal town near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Known as the ‘jungle of roots‘ in Tamil, Pulicat encompasses a vast expanse of 720 sq. km, constituting India’s second-largest brackish water body. Rampant destruction of mangrove vegetation by human activities and natural causes has led to a massive reduction in the lake’s depth from 3.8m to 2m. This ecological decline has endangered biodiversity and threatened the livelihoods of local fisherfolk dependent on the mangrove ecosystem.

The ‘Mangroves Matter’ campaign was officially launched on World Wetlands Day, 2024, with a bold vision to rewild approximately 10 lakh mangroves across 100 acres in the Pulicat region alone. In addition to their environmental advantages, the campaign will closely work with the Irula community, opening up livelihood opportunities for them and boosting the local economy by supporting the cultivation of shrimp and fish species. The project also includes removal of acres of Prosopis ( Karuvelam ), an invasive species which has destroyed the local flora and soil ecosystems.

Sriram Ananthanarayanan, Director-Projects, UWBe, said, “I am glad that many of our Corporate CSR partners have come forward to support this campaign with a shared vision towards environmental commitment. Notably, our CSR partner, Mphasis, has pledged their support to this cause, dedicating the rewilding of mangroves on 70 acres in Pulicat. “

Looking ahead, United Way Bengaluru envisions extending the campaign’s reach to other regions, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. Upholding its mission of “mobilizing the caring power of communities,” the organization calls upon organizations from different industries to join hands in supporting this vital mission for the preservation of the planet’s precious ecosystems.

Rajesh Krishnan, CEO, UWBe, said, “COP28 made significant progress towards securing the Mangrove Breakthrough’s goal of 15 million hectares of mangroves underpinned by USD 4 billion new investments by 2030. I am super excited that United Way Bengaluru is among the very few organisations who have taken this initiative. ‘Mangroves Matter’ is aligned with the aspiration of COP28, which calls out the responsibility of the State, corporations, local people, community, NGOs and other stakeholders to deliver the Breakthrough.”