NEW YORK, Oct 10 - Sikkim�s State Policy on Organic Farming and Sikkim Organic Mission have been shortlisted for an award conferred by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations for the world�s best policies promoting agro-ecological approaches.
The 2018 Future Policy Award (FPA) will commend proven policies that effectively scale up agro-ecological approaches at local, national and international levels. It will celebrate outstanding examples for accelerating the transformative change in the way food is produced and consumed.
In total, 51 policies from 25 countries were nominated and among those shortlisted as the world�s best policies in the support to scale up agro-ecological approaches include Brazil�s National Policy for Agroecology 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), From Arms to Farms Programme in Philippines and Los Angeles� Good Food Purchasing Policy (2012).
According to information about the Sikkim Organic Mission online, Sikkim became the first State in India to officially announce adoption of organic farming in the year 2003 to ensure long-term sustenance of soil fertility, protection of environment and ecology, healthy living and decreasing the risk of health ailments.
In 2003, Sikkim stopped imports of chemical fertilisers in the State and since then the cultivatable land there is practically organic and farmers of Sikkim are traditional users of organic manure.
Winners of this year�s Future Policy Award will be announced on October 12 and celebrated during the World Food Week in a ceremony this week at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
The Future Policy Award 2018 is co-organised by the 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 organisations said with their holistic approach and impressive impact, these eight legal frameworks and policies create enabling environments for the implementation of agro-ecology, help achieve the ambitions of the 2030 agenda and contribute directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals.
�Agro-ecology is a key pathway to support the transition towards healthier and more sustainable food systems. The selected policies are outstanding examples featuring important agro-ecological elements that support such transitions. Leadership and political will are key to achieve them. The FAO encourages such leadership and is committed to join hands to accelerate the needed transformation,� FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo said.
The potential of agro-ecology to achieve healthy nutrition for all and to address social injustice, climate change and biodiversity loss has been internationally recognised, World Board President of IFOAM � Organics International Peggy Miars said. � PTI
