Award for India’s organic state

Rome – India’s first fully organic state won top prize in a United Nations-backed award yesterday, with organisers saying its policies had helped more than 66 000 farmers, boosted tourism and set an example to other countries.

The small Himalayan state of Sikkim on India’s border with Tibet was declared fully organic in 2016, after phasing out chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Sikkim’s experience shows that “100% organic is no longer a pipe dream but a reality”, said UN. – Reuters