Victorian agronomist Tony Rinaudo has been awarded the 2025 Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Environmental Peace for developing farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR), a technique that transforms barren landscapes into fertile land for crops and livestock. Working in Niger during the 1980s, Rinaudo’s method revived degraded soils by regenerating trees from existing stumps, addressing issues caused by deforestation.
FMNR enhances soil health, provides crop cover from winds, and offers fodder and shelter for livestock. The technique, sparked by Rinaudo’s observation of a sprouting tree stump, has spread to over 40 countries, covering 5 million hectares in Niger alone with 200 million regenerated trees. This has boosted Niger’s agricultural output by $900 million annually, adding 500,000 tonnes of grain yearly, enough to feed 2.5 million people.
Rinaudo, World Vision’s principal climate advisor, emphasized that FMNR restores biodiversity and improves food security, reducing resource scarcity and conflict. World Vision Australia’s interim chief executive, Grant Bayldon, praised the technique for empowering communities to build resilience and peace. Rinaudo dedicated the prize to millions of smallholder farmers who adopted FMNR, crediting their efforts in restoring their land.
