Sikkim Wins Gold at Global Future Policy Awards

Hamburg/Rome: Sikkim has been awarded the prestigious gold prize at global Future Policy Awards for promoting agro-ecology through policies and laws that have made it a “100 per cent organic farming” state. Sikkim is 2018’s winner of the “Oscar for best policies”, beating 51 nominated policies from 25 countries, the international non-government body World Future Council (WFC) announced on Friday. The award is co-organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Future Council (WFC) and IFOAM Organics International. It was announced simultaneously at Hamburg and Rome. Policies from Brazil, Denmark and Quito (Ecuador) were awarded silver.

FAO Deputy Director-General Maria-Helena Semedo said: “A transition to sustainable food and agriculture systems is critical to achieving sustainable development, and the 2018 Future Policy Award is unique as it highlights policies that advance such a transition. “FAO is proud to honour, along with the World Future Council and IFOAM - Organics International, such leadership and political will.” “Gold Prize winner Sikkim is the first organic state in the world. All of its farmland is certified organic. At the same time, Sikkim’s approach reaches beyond organic production and has proven truly transformational for the state and its citizens,” the WFC, a Hamburg-based body consisting of 50 eminent global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil society, academia and business, said in the release. It noted that Sikkim’s tourism sector had benefited greatly from the state’s transition to 100 per cent organic. “As such, Sikkim sets an excellent example of how other Indian states and countries worldwide can successfully upscale agro-ecology,” it added. (IANS)