The world's first fully organically farmed country and its path to success

India, with around 4.5 million hectares, is the world's second largest country in terms of organically farmed area, after Australia with 53 million hectares.

Sikkim, a small Himalayan state in northeastern India, became the world's first fully organically farmed state in 2016, where all agricultural activities are carried out without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilisers.

This was achieved through a series of targeted initiatives that began as early as 2003 and were carried out primarily to improve public health, protect the environment, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. According to FuturePolicy.org, the state currently has 76,000 hectares of organic farmland.

In 2018, Sikkim was awarded the Future Policy Gold Award by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, recognising the state as a global leader in organic farming.

Crops grown here include cereals such as maize, rice, wheat, millet and barley, as well as a variety of spices such as ginger, large cardamom and turmeric, fruits such as apples, oranges and bananas, and vegetables such as kale and spinach.

But how did Sikkim achieve its fully organic status, and can its agricultural practices be transferred to the rest of India?

How Sikkim advanced organic farming

Sikkim became the world's first fully organic state through a series of coordinated policy measures. The Sikkim Organic Mission, launched in 2010, aimed to advance the conversion of all agricultural land to organic farming by December 2015.

Another important measure was the establishment of the Sikkim State Organic Board in 2003, which was tasked with developing strategies, guidelines and standards for organic farming.

One of the most important measures was the gradual abolition and eventual ban of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

To this end, taxes on chemical pesticides and fertilisers were gradually increased, and the import of synthetic pesticides, fertilisers and non-organic vegetables from outside the state was halted. Subsidies for farmers using synthetic fertilisers and pesticides were also discontinued.

Dr. Jennifer Brandon, environmental scientist and sustainability consultant at Wild Beacon Consulting, told me in an interview that "the government also supported the production and use of organic fertilisers and organic seeds, and created comprehensive capacity building, including training farmers in new organic farming techniques and incorporating organic farming into the curriculum."

The organic farming methods employed by Sikkimese farmers include soil management practices such as composting using compost manure and cow dung, as well as vermiculture, in which worm castings are used to improve nutrient content and soil fertility.

Green manuring with legumes and other plants is also employed, as is mulching with various organic materials to regulate temperature and retain moisture in the soil.

Pest control is achieved primarily through crop rotation, which disrupts pest cycles and improves soil health, as well as through the use of plant-based pesticides such as garlic extracts and neem oil. Intercropping — the simultaneous cultivation of different crops — can also reduce problems with agricultural pests.

Other techniques for crop diversity, such as crop rotation and the use of native seeds, can also help keep pests in check while preserving genetic diversity and soil fertility.

The government of Sikkim has ensured that there is a market where organic products can be purchased through organic retail stores, while simultaneously promoting sustainable tourism.

All agricultural farms in Sikkim are certified to international standards, facilitated by the Sikkim State Organic Certification Agency. The state has focused more on raising consumer awareness and education, while continuously monitoring progress in the transition to organic farming and making necessary adjustments.

Legislation plays an important role in accelerating the adoption of organic farming in Sikkim.

Professor Himanshu Rai, Director of the Indian Institute of Management, Indore, said in an interview: "To support the transition, the government has passed important legislation such as the Sikkim Agriculture, Horticulture, and Livestock Feed Regulatory Act (2014) and developed infrastructure such as bio-fertilizer production units."

Can Sikkim's organic farming strategy spread across all of India?

Sikkim's agricultural methods can be transferred to the rest of India, but not without significant government or philanthropic assistance.

Brandon explains: "The initial transition from synthetic fertilizers and seeds to organic fertilizers and seeds can be costly, and it is important that the government or another third party assists with this transition."

One of the main reasons for the success of this transition in Sikkim were the fiscal incentives that encouraged the use of organic fertilizers.

If Sikkim's practices are to be replicated across India, a similar national incentive structure for the use of organic fertilizers and seeds may be required, at least for the first season. At the same time, taxes on chemical pesticides and fertilizers may need to be increased.

"The transition to organic farming could initially lead to yield losses. Farmers must be offered adequate incentives, either in the form of direct financial support or through infrastructure subsidies to compensate for this yield loss," explained Praveena Sridhar, CTO of Save Soil, in an interview.

Other incentive mechanisms such as guaranteed market prices and crop insurance may also need to be introduced.

A comprehensive training program for farmers on organic farming methods would be required, supported by a technologically grounded hands-on mechanism ideally aligned with the crop calendars of individual Indian regions.

As far as market development is concerned, while there are many online platforms in India for selling organic products, a dedicated market mechanism for organic farming — such as the agricultural produce market committees in conventional farming — has yet to be established.

"Promoting investment in infrastructure for organic farming, including cold storage facilities, processing plants and marketing channels for organic products, should be a priority," said Sridhar.

Another important initiative should be farmer producer communities, which help farmers pool their resources, enable better market access and strengthen their negotiating position.

Furthermore, an internationally recognised organic standard may be required to facilitate trade and increase the acceptance of Indian organic products. Such an agency could also create more localised and flexible certification systems better suited to small and medium-sized farmers.

Although transferring agricultural practices from Sikkim to the rest of India could be complicated and time-consuming, the state has proven that organic farming can be highly profitable.

"It pays to invest in sustainable agriculture. Sikkim’s transition to organic farming has benefited over 66,000 farmers," said Sridhar.

This transformation has helped Sikkim, once one of India's poorest states, become one of its wealthiest today. It has also improved the lifestyle, literacy rate, and life expectancy of people in Sikkim.

“Organic farming is good for the soil, for the watershed, and for health,” said Brandon.

Low initial yields slow the adoption of organic farming

Despite the benefits of organic farming, challenges remain in implementing it on a large scale.

One of the biggest hurdles is the low initial yields when transitioning from conventional to organic farming. According to Sridhar, these can amount to between 50 and 60 percent in certain cases. This, combined with the long transition periods that can last several years, increases the need to provide farmers with financial safety nets.

Sridhar emphasized: “Carefully designed farming models that take local agro-ecological conditions into account must be developed in order to make this transition period sustainable and economically viable for farmers.”

Labour costs in organic farming are also considerably higher compared to conventional farming, as the practice is more labour-intensive. The shortage of skilled workers in organic farming also contributes to these high costs.

Access to equipment for regenerative agriculture can also be quite limited in some areas, as can services such as customer support, input production facilities, and dedicated markets for organic farming.

For larger operations, obtaining and maintaining organic certification can often be cost-intensive, involving lengthy, complex processes that require the maintenance of large volumes of farm management data.

In the Indian context, organic farming works in Sikkim, according to Brandon, partly because the state is very small and can charge more for organic products by outcompeting other nearby agricultural regions.

“If the entire country were organic, it might be more difficult to continue commanding these organic premium prices, although they could still be applied to certain specialty crops or exports,” said Brandon.