Sikkim shows how to farm without chemicals

In 2016, Sikkim became India’s first 100% organic state. Spanning approximately 7,000 km², it is the country’s second smallest state. However, this transition was not without its challenges.

Seeds of change

The story begins in 2003 when chief minister Pawan Singh Chamling pledged to transition the state entirely to organic farming. Over 13 years, the hilly state eliminated chemical fertilisers and pesticides from its 76,000 hectares of agricultural land. 

Sikkim had a head start with its minimal reliance on chemicals—its fertiliser use was only 5.8 kilos per hectare, significantly lower than the national average, thanks to its remote location. 

Even as the rest of India embraced the green revolution of the 1960s, Sikkim’s isolation kept its soil relatively free from synthetic chemicals. This geographical advantage meant that the state’s agricultural output lagged behind more industrialised regions. 

Bharati Rai, a farmer from Gaucharan village near Ranipool in Sikkim, said “Moving towards organic farming and restricting the use of chemicals and pesticides was done while keeping in mind the health of the people and the environment, including the health of the soil.” But the challenge was to implement this transition without putting the livelihoods of Sikkim’s thousands of farmers at risk.

Sikkim’s government opted for a gradual transition, learning from Sri Lanka’s mistake of an overnight ban on chemical fertilisers that led to a collapse in agriculture. 

Phased Agricultural Shift

In 2003, Sikkim provided a 40% subsidy on urea, reducing it by 10% each year until 2008, when it was completely removed. This allowed farmers and the land to gradually adapt to organic farming. “The slow change towards organic farming over the years was ideal as it allowed us to prepare for the change, along with allowing the soil and land to slowly adapt to the new mode of farming,” Rai said.

Farmer and politician Dwarikanath Sapkota developed a transitional programme to help train farmers in getting accustomed to methods of growing crops without the use of chemicals. Training sessions were conducted by several agencies such as Sikkim Organic Mission (SOM), the state’s horticulture department, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the Agriculture Technology Management Agency and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR). The government established nurseries to cultivate earthworms, which were then distributed free of charge to farmers to initiate vermicomposting.

The government continued its earlier practice of distributing quality seeds at a cheap rate, but with a renewed emphasis on seeds for high-value fruits and vegetables that are suitable to grow in the particular climatic and geographic conditions of the region. 

When chemical fertilisers and pesticides are completely phased out, it takes a while for the soil to recover its nutritional value for effective organic farming to be possible. During this period, government rations helped farmers survive. The government also gave cows to many families, ensuring a steady income from dairy farming. Another scheme was launched at this time, giving one government job to each family, making salaried income a means of survival for a lot of farmers. Bharati said the government tried to incentivise farmers with awards and monetary prizes for their achievements in organic farming. 

The overwhelming popularity of Chamling, who won 31 out of 32 and 32 out of 32 seats in the 2004 and 2009 assembly elections respectively, meant that there was no sizable opposition to speak of. This allowed the government to push through these reforms and implement them in a timely manner.

Impact of Organic Farming

As the state moved to organic farming, its cropping pattern started looking different. Rice, integral to the Sikkimese diet, has been reduced almost to half of what its yield used to be. Contrarily, there has been little change in yields of maize, another important crop. Acreage under wheat, finger millet, barley, pulses and oilseeds has been seeing a decline. Unsurprisingly, fruits and vegetables have seen steady growth.

"Since the change, farmers have been benefiting from the increased demand for organically grown crops. The prices of these crops are also high, and combined with the increased demand, the farmers are not negatively impacted by the changes. This demand comes from tourists, foreigners, and even locals who can afford them.” said Rai. 

In 2014, legislation was introduced completely banning the use of all chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It was made a punishable offence with a hefty fine of Rs 1 lakh, up to 3 months in prison or both. Two years later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Sikkim as India’s first, fully organic state. The state saw a 50% boost in the number of tourists between 2014 and 2017, owing to its newly found ‘organic’ reputation. 

Challenges and sustainability

The vast majority of Sikkim still depends on food exports from Siliguri in West Bengal for its sustenance. Its organic produce is consumed by a minority within the state, and largely accrues profit through exports. 

Reduced yields after the transition meant the government had to bolster prices to cover for the incurred losses, disincentivizing local customers from buying the organic produce. 

Much of Sikkim's organic food is not marketed under the official ‘Sikkim Organic’ brand. This, combined with the lack of regulations on food imported from outside the state, means that organic products from Sikkim have to compete with exports from West Bengal. Grains, fruits and vegetables that come from West Bengal are cheaper and thus, preferred by the consumers in Sikkim. 

In the fruit market, many prefer the exported, conventionally-grown fruits as they are bigger and more colourful. This has resulted in a significantly reduced market for the state’s own organic produce. “It is cheaper to buy food from outside states, and people do tend to prefer the more affordable option. However, farmers are still seeing an increase in demand for organically grown crops.” said Rai.

Logistical hurdles

The state’s geographical isolation is another major issue. Any export has to travel about 80 kilometres by road to the nearest airport at Bagdogra, before it can reach anywhere else in the country. Given the short shelf life of organic produce, this is a difficult endeavour. Small and marginal farmers, who live in parts of Sikkim that are difficult to access, depend on middlemen to take their produce to towns and cities, lowering their profit margin. The initial promise of ‘higher prices despite low yield’ has not entirely come true. 

Government support has been severely lacking in some areas. Many farmers have not been provided bio-fertilisers and biopesticides from the government and have suffered losses as a result. Between 2010 and 2014, only 5 percent of the total expenditure of SOM was allocated to farmer training. Therefore, efforts to help the farmers generate their own inputs have also not seen much success. Despite pest attacks being a huge concern among the farmers, there has been no attempt by the government’s agencies to collect data on this matter. 

A major underlying cause of this government neglect is the lack of funds, which have been disproportionately directed towards getting the state ‘organic’ certified through Third Party Certification for international export. From 2010 to 2016, SOM has spent approximately 78 percent of its total expenditures on certification-related procedures. The government’s preoccupation with certification has meant that less funds are allocated to providing farmers with essential organic inputs and training. 

Despite these challenges, Sikkim remains the sole example in the world of a complete transition to organic farming at its scale. Hence, it serves as a case study for governments, scientists and environmentalists looking to transform agriculture into a sustainable industry and make the food we eat nutritious and healthy.