Sikkim receives UN award for becoming world's first 100 percent organic state, beats 25 countries

Sikkim beat 51 other nominations from across the world; Brazil, Denmark and Quito in Ecuador shared the second spot.

Sikkim has earned the badge of being the world's first 100 per cent organic state. The state, which walked away with the Future Policy Award, 2018, at a UN ceremony in Rome, also received an "Oscar" for best policies at the ceremony after bolstering its efforts to attain sustainable development goals.

The award was presented at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Monday. The state competed against 51 other nominees from 25 countries. The award, Future Policy Award 2018, is given to a state with world's best laws and policies promoting agro-ecology.

Chief Minister Kumar Chamling, Sikkim Democratic Front MP Prem Das Rai, and Indian Ambassador Reenat Sandhu received the award on the behalf of the state.

“Let us build an organic world together,” he said while accepting the award from FAO's Deputy Director Maria Helena Semedo, who praised the state for setting an example.

Sikkim's organic farming policy is said to have benefited over 66 000 farming families and boosted incoming tourism. In an email conversation with IANS, MP Prem Das Rai said,

“We are pleased to know that a Himalayan state of India has been awarded this year's Future Policies Award in agro-ecology. The leadership under Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has to be lauded. Farsightedness and a huge political will has been the underpinning of this policy. It's even more important to understand the magnitude of the policy, in both its simplicity and wide-ranging implications for human development and climate change mitigation. It bolsters efforts to attain sustainable development goals. Sikkim and India need to be proud of this great moment.”

The policy that brought them the award focused on a total elimination of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and helped achieve a total ban on the sale and use of chemical pesticides in the state. Sikkim has also noted a 50 percent growth between 2014 and 2017by just boosting its agro-ecology.

On January 19, 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Sikkim as the first organic state in the country. He also called the state a harbinger of organic farming, not only in India but around the world.

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