Sustainable agriculture pioneers win the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity
Three visionary sustainable agriculture pioneers were selected as winners of the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, in recognition of their substantial contribution to global food security, climate resilience and ecosystem protection: Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (India), a state-wide programme supporting smallholders, predominantly women, switch to natural farming; Rattan Lal (USA/India), a scientist who pioneered a soil-centric approach to agriculture; and SEKEM (Egypt), for its biodynamic agriculture work, the Egyptian Biodynamic Association – a network enabling farmers to transition to biodynamic practices.
The Jury, chaired by Dr. Angela Merkel, selected the three recipients out of 181 nominations with nominees from 117 nationalities – the most Prize nominations received and from more geographies than ever before. The winners were chosen for their varying approaches to sustainable agriculture including biodynamic, natural and regenerative farming which have been proven in different geographical regions with challenging climatic conditions. They demonstrate how sustainable agriculture benefits communities, farmers, economies and the planet.
The 2024 Prize highlights how climate-related challenges are interlinked and lead to interconnected systemic crises. Climate change is exacerbating biodiversity loss, extreme weather, and resource degradation, disrupting food systems and human health globally. Simultaneously, agriculture significantly contributes to climate change through carbon emissions, land and water degradation, and biodiversity loss.
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.”
The three individuals and organisations, who will share the €1 million Prize equally, can use the funding to help scale their efforts or support other sustainable agriculture projects.
António Feijó, President of the Board of Trustees of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation says: “We are honoured to recognise the recipients for 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.”
With an award of €1 million, the Prize recognises outstanding contributions to climate action and solutions that inspire hope and possibility. This is the fifth year in which the prize has been awarded. The funding has been used over the past five years to help communities facing the worst impacts of climate change and scale the work of winners in taking action on climate change, including through restoring vital ecosystems and supporting energy transition and climate resilience projects.
About the winners
The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) supports smallholder farmers to switch from chemically intensive agriculture to ‘natural farming’, through practices such as using organic residues and minimising tillage to improve soil health; reintroducing indigenous seeds; and diversifying crops, including trees. It was launched in 2016 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, aiming to find a sustainable solution to farmer distress caused by economic crises in agriculture and climate change.
Implemented by non-profit organisation Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) (‘Farmers Empowerment Cooperation’), it is recognised as the world’s largest agroecology programme, now reaching over a million smallholder farmers, predominantly women, across 500,000 hectares in the state. The programme offers farmers increased yields, improved incomes and improved health benefits from the first season of transition. It has also generated environmental and social benefits including greater soil carbon sequestration, reversed land degradation, reduced soil temperatures, increased biodiversity. Its success relies on four levers: delivery through an established network of women collectives; farmer-to-farmer learning via ‘Champion Farmers’; progressive technology; and government ownership.
The programme aims to reach all eight million farmer households in Andhra Pradesh over the next 10 years and inspire replication elsewhere. The model is already being incubated across 12 states in India, and in 2024 will be introduced in five other Global South countries, adapted to local contexts.
Professor Rattan Lal is a globally renowned soil scientist. He pioneered a soil-centric approach that harmonises food production with ecological preservation and climate change mitigation. His methodologies have highlighted on a global stage the interconnectedness of soil health and broader environmental and human wellbeing, and the importance of enhancing food security while conserving natural resources. By promoting research and education in sustainable soil management, Dr. Lal has advanced understanding of sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. In 2024, Dr. Lal was ranked the most cited plant science and agronomy scientist in the world. He has been distinguished through many global awards, including the Japan Prize in 2019, the World Food Prize in 2020, the Padma Shri award in 2021, and the Plant Science and Agronomy Leader Award in 2024. His personal journey from refugee to Distinguished University Professor at The Ohio State University and the founder of the university’s Carbon Management & Sequestration Center exemplifies the power of resilience and intellectual pursuit.
SEKEM is a conglomerate of NGOs, businesses and the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development championing holistic approaches addressing societal challenges and climate change mitigation. Established almost 50 years ago in a desert region, SEKEM’s inception is rooted in biodynamic farming – rejuvenating arid land and local society. Its food and agriculture work scales up regenerative practices and highlights the co-benefits of nature-based solutions for land and communities. 30 years ago, SEKEM co-founded the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA) – an independent association that developed the Economy of Love Standard, which is highly inspired by the SEKEM vision. Both SEKEM and EBDA are focused on scaling biodynamic agriculture, promoting a holistic transformation of farming communities. Through the Economy of Love Standard, SEKEM and the EBDA are enabling farmers to transition from conventional to a more profitable biodynamic, regenerative farming model while supporting community development. To date, it has supported over 10,000 farmers and converted over 40,000 acres of land.