Institutionalizing Agroecology: Community-Managed Natural Farming within Governance Frameworks in Andhra Pradesh

The Green Revolution has left a lasting legacy on India’s agricultural sector, embedding an industrial model that prioritizes productivity over ecological sustainability. Supported by state-led initiatives and international foundations, this model institutionalized practices that often marginalized local knowledge systems and led to significant environmental impacts, such as soil degradation, water depletion, and loss of biodiversity. In response, Andhra Pradesh’s Community-Managed Natural Farming (CMNF) initiative presents an agroecological alternative grounded in local ecological knowledge and community agency. CMNF promotes farming methods that rely on natural inputs, enhance soil biodiversity, and reduce chemical dependencies. It is thereby positioned as a counter-narrative that challenges the Green Revolution paradigm by fostering resilience through ecological diversity and farmer autonomy.

This study explores how CMNF navigates institutional challenges while interacting with established governance structures to promote sustainable agricultural practices. Using Structuration Theory, the research examines the dynamic between individual agency and institutional frameworks, focusing on how farmers and communities adapt to, and influence, policy environments. Additionally, a Multi-Level Governance framework is employed to investigate how state policies, community networks, and knowledge systems intersect to either enable or restrict the scaling of agroecological practices. By investigating the case of Andhra Pradesh, this research contributes to the discourse on global governance, sustainable agriculture, and the role of state interventions in fostering systemic change. The study emphasizes the need for governance models that support locally-adapted, knowledge-driven approaches to food security, offering insights into how institutional flexibility can enhance sustainability in the Anthropocene. It raises critical questions about the future of agricultural transitions and the role of agroecological models in addressing sustainability challenges on both local and global scales.