Sikkim’s efforts for promotion of organic farming has bore fruit as the State is shortlisted for an award by the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) of the United Nations which recognizes and rewards the world’s best policies for promotion of agro-ecological approaches.
The Future Policy Award is given to compliment the policies that promote organic farming highly at local, national or international level and give good examples of food production in a natural way and without the use of harmful chemical fertilizers.
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For conferring this award, FAO selected 51 policies from 25 countries that promote agro-ecological approach and among those shortlisted include include Brazil’s National Policy for Agro-ecology and Organic Production, Organic Action Plan for Denmark: Working together for more organics, Sikkim’s State Policy on Organic Farming (2004) and Sikkim Organic Mission (2010), the From Arms to Farms Programme in Philippines and Los Angeles’ Good Food Purchasing Policy (2012).
Sikkim is the first state in India to promote organic farming and it took this initiative in 2003 by stopping imports of chemical fertilizers and utilizing organic manure for cultivation of food in order to ensure healthy living of the people and sustaining in a healthy environment.
The winner of the Future Policy Award this year will be announced on Friday at FAO headquarters in Rome.
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This award is co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Future Council and IFOAM – Organics International, with the support of Green Cross International, DO-IT – Dutch Organic International Trade and Sekem Group, Egypt.
The agro-ecological approach is to ensure healthy production of food and healthy eating habits and also prevent biodiversity loss and promote the concept of a healthy and greener environment.