Empowering Community-Led Solutions: India's Bibifathima Earns UN Equator Prize 2025

India's women-led Bibifathima Swa Sahaya Sangha has clinched the United Nations Equator Prize 2025 for pioneering nature-based solutions that support sustainable development and ecological resilience. Recognized alongside nine other global initiatives, the group showcases the critical role of local communities in mitigating climate change.

Founded in Karnataka, Bibifathima aids over 5,000 farmers across 30 villages with innovative practices like millet-based multi-cropping, seed banks, and solar-powered processing. By integrating traditional knowledge with regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, the group boosts biodiversity and food security, while empowering marginalized women and youth to become agripreneurs.

The Equator Prize, announced by the UN Development Programme on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, honors projects rooted in Indigenous knowledge. This year's theme, 'Nature for Climate Action,' highlights initiatives that protect critical ecosystems and promote inclusive, nature-based economies, essential for a sustainable future.

(With inputs from agencies.)