According to the London-based World Book of Records, Sikkim is the "first organic state in the world." An organization called World Book of Records London compiles and authenticates amazing records from all over the world. This recognition suggests that the state has established itself as the first state in the world to adopt a 100% organic policy.
According to the report, Sikkim state in India was chosen because it was the first organic state in the world and had the best government. It was also the state with the lowest crime rate.
With the Green Revolution in the 1960s, India produced more crops and enough food grains for the entire nation, but artificial fertilizers and pesticides also made their way into Indian agriculture. Our agriculture, including the water, air, and soil, is being impacted.
Organic farming is being encouraged due to the negative effects of farming on the environment. Sikkim is the first fully organic state in the world and serves as a role model for the rest of the planet. The United States also gave Sikkim the Oscar Award for Best Policies in recognition of its enormous achievement.
The Sikkim state administration committed to making the region an organic state in 2003, and thanks to its initiatives and regulations, Sikkim was named the first organic state in the world in 2016.
Sikkim received the Oscar Award from the FAO of the United Nations for having the finest strategies to establish 100 per cent organic farming. Sikkim received this distinction from the UN, beating out roughly 25 other nominees. When bestowing this honour, the United Nations noted that Sikkim had taken a stride toward eradicating hunger, poverty, and environmental deterioration.
How Did Sikkim Become an Organic State?
The Sikkim State Board was established by the then-chief minister Pawan Chamling. Additionally, cooperation was started with numerous domestic and international agricultural development and research groups, including Swiss biological research.
The government concentrated on creating clusters of local panchayats for organic farming. In Sikkim, organic farming was practiced on 8 lakh 35,000 hectares of land, helping 4 lakh farmers. About 2.5 thousand farmer interest groups were established, and via them, about 45 thousand farmers were connected to the organic program. The goal was to cover 50,000 hectares of land.
What is a Bio Village?
Oddly, Sikkim was experiencing a drop in revenue and output when the state opted to switch to organic farming. People were made aware of organic fertilizers by visiting organic farms, schools, and even residences. The management of nutrition, methods, pest control, and agricultural laboratories was also covered.
On the treatment of acidic soil, organic packaging, etc., there were numerous awareness campaigns organised. It was not simple to make the shift to a fully organic state. The communities were initially taken in by the state government, which decided to transform them into bio-villages. All people now have access to organic manure once the manure quota was closed.
Additionally, individuals were given credentials for organic farming. After adopting all these actions, Sikkim's agricultural potential increased, and production on more than 22 lakh hectares was noted.
