Organic farming

Story hook

In April 2016, Sikkim's Chief Minister Pawan Chamling stands at a UN-FAO event in Milan and accepts the Future Policy Gold Award for the world's first 100% organic state. The journey began in 2003 with a state assembly declaration; by 2010 all 75,000 hectares of farmland were under organic conversion. By 18 Jan 2016, Sikkim was certified organic across all crops. Per-capita farmer income rose 35% between 2014 and 2017 — but yields, in the first three years, fell 20%.

Two thousand kilometres west in Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme of Vijay Kumar has by 2025 enrolled 8 lakh farmers on 10 lakh hectares — the world's largest agro-ecology programme. Their slogan: "Save soil — and the soil will save you." No chemical fertiliser. No chemical pesticide. Only desi cow-dung + cow-urine concoctions (jeevamrutha, ghanajeevamrutha, beejamrutha, neemastra). PM Modi cited the experiment at the Niti Aayog 2025 meeting.

The 1960s Green Revolution doubled India's grain. The next revolution — if there is to be one — may swap chemicals for compost. Whether it can scale beyond Sikkim and Andhra is the test.

Why this matters for UPSC

GS-III tests organic farming definitions (vs natural farming vs sustainable farming), national schemes (PKVY, MOVCDNER, BPKP), certification (NPOP, PGS-India, Jaivik Bharat logo), and case studies (Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh natural farming, Himachal). Prelims has tested NPOP (2018), Jaivik Bharat (2017), Sikkim 100% organic (2017). Mains weighs the productivity-sustainability trade-off.