Sikkim became the first state in the world to become fully organic .
The demand for healthy and safe food is showing steady growth and with it the rise of organic farming globally as the world continues to be besieged by the COVID-19 pandemic. India ranks first in the number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming.
Sikkim became the first state in the world to become fully organic and other states such as Tripura and Uttarakhand are following suit. Two dedicated programs, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) were launched in 2015 to encourage organic chemical free farming.
The major organic exports from India have been flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice and pulses, which were instrumental in driving an increase of nearly 50 percent in organic exports in 2018-19, touching Rs 5151 crore. The Green Caravan of Kohima created market linkages from all villages of Nagaland to urban areas for vegetables, handicrafts and handlooms (www.instamojo.com).
There were online sale of fruits and vegetables by FPOs in Maharashtra and doorstep delivery in specially designed electric vans in Punjab. The organic e-commerce platform www.jaivikkheti.in has been strengthened for directly linking farmers with retail as well as bulk buyers.
