Policy Recommendations to promote an effective and efficient natural farming value chain in Andhra Pradesh

Bio: Garima is a seasoned development sector professional with four years of experience in working with central and state governments, foundations, investors, and NGOs. She has a Master’s degree in public policy from Kautilya School of Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi. Garima brings expertise in public policy with a focus on sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, WASH, and sustainability.

Project Outline: This report aims to understand the reasons why natural farming is gaining traction in the modern era. It goes into the policies and schemes developed by the international and Indian governments to encourage its uptake. The study then shifts gears to focus on the Orvakal Mandal of Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh. The paper is focused on tracing the value chain of natural produce- Production, Marketable Surplus, Preparation for Sales, and At Sales Point. Each stage of the value chain brings challenges that reduce the scaleup of the natural farming ecosystem. This paper explains the subcomponents of each stage and lays out the challenges faced by all major stakeholders: farmers, retailers, and consumers. The paper then goes on to analyse how the systemic issues at each stage hinder the growth of natural farming in India despite government push and financial incentives. The paper ends by providing policy recommendations for each of the above-outlined stages as well as certain directions for future research.