Episode 10: Sikkim: The World’s First ‘100% Organic State’ - Secretary Shri B.B. Subba
We’re in Double Digits!!! Episode 10 comin’ at ya. As always, you can also read the full case study below and listen to our full interview on Apple Podcasts @Brym Labs
In this week’s podcast case study + podcast, you’ll hear from Shri B.B. Subba, Secretary of Horticulture for the Government of Sikkim, a ‘small’ State in Northeastern India setting a great example for the rest of the world. This audio was recorded during an in-person presentation in Gangtok at their government offices! I would suggest listening in tandem with the Case Study below - where you can learn about the efforts of their department in much more detail.
Inside the Episode with Shri B.B. Subba:
During our time together, we had the chance to discuss:
What: The history of the Sikkim Organic Mission program, formalized in 2010, and how they’ve evolved to being the first ever ‘100% Organic State’ in the world today
Why: Sikkim’s position of why this approach is important from an ecological, economic, and cultural perspective.
How: Sikkim’s impressively coordinated effort across state government, agencies, ‘Panchayats’, and communities to achieve a fully sustainable state.
If you’re looking for some recommended reading, take a gander at Jiwan Rai’s BOOK, which was the foundation for my research for this study. Also just a quick and inspiring read, based on uplifting hopeful actions rather than doomsday rhetoric.
Thanks for listening!
Intro
What if a government and their people could actually produce a coordinated effort to create a more sustainable climate AND economy?
Sikkim, the second smallest Indian State, is tucked among the Himalayas in the northeastern corner of the country. They are the first state, not just in India but in the world, to become a ‘100% Organic State’. At the same time, they are creating new jobs for young people and building a strong economy, exemplifying that sustainability and development can go hand in hand… if the government and community are aligned on how to achieve that vision.
Amidst the contentious histories of India’s Green Revolution, when chemical fertilizers were first introduced in response to famine in the 1960s, and the more recent ‘Farmer’s Protests’ in 2020/2021, when an estimated 250 Million Indians took a stand against agricultural neoliberalism and formed the world’s largest ever organized strike, Sikkim is writing a new narrative.
I had the honor of sitting down with the Government Secretary of Horticulture, Mr. Shri B.B. Subba in Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital, to learn more. I’m excited to share my interview with Mr Subba and help tell the story of how their ‘small’ state can provide a substantial blueprint for other states in India and across the world.
Also, before I dive in, don’t just take my word for their impressive record… here are a list of national and global accolades given to Sikkim for their example and leadership in futuristic planning and sustainability:
Future Policy Gold Award, 2018 in Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Delhi-based research institute Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) - Sustainable Development Leadership award to Chief Minister Chamling (2016)
Germany-Based International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) - One World Award Grand Prix (2017)
Khangchendzonga National Park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 11th Biosphere Reserve added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves in July 2018.
Indian Agribusiness Excellence Award, 2017
National Kalam Innovation Governance Award, 2018
Also, a quick shout out to Cuba!! Cuba is the only other country/state that has a government-driven mission for total organic farming.
The Journey - Getting to Sikkim
At the end of April, right after leaving the Sundarbans and JGVK, (at the Southeastern most point of India) my dad and I set off on a 24-hour journey to Sikkim (India’s northeastern most State) at the foothills of the Himalayas.
The journey started with a 3 hour drive to Kolkata, then we took an overnight train 13 hours North to Siliguri. Bunk beds lined the sides of the train cars - we were lucky to be in a section with air conditioning … and to meet some new friends from neighboring bunks! From Siliguri, we took an electric, three-wheeled ‘Auto’ to the town bus terminal, where we were ushered into the back seat of a ‘Shared Jeep.’ 10 total people smushed into a 3-row jeep van was a new experience that tested the alignment of our spines and that bumpy ride was our home for the next 3 hours as we climbed the hills at the feet of the Himalayan Mountain Range, arriving next in a town called Darjeeling.
Our family (my grandmother, Frances Helen and great-grandparents, Walter and Mary) lived in Kolkata and Darjeeling almost 100 years ago. So before heading to Sikkim, we spent some time researching our family history first at the school where my grandma attended when she was just 3-5 years old. We found the old cottage where they lived, holding an old black and white picture up to the brightly colored day to confirm the match.
Finally, our last Shared Jeep brought us further North, through the border at Jorethang, out of the state of West Bengal (where Kolkata and Darjeeling are based) and into Sikkim. Jaws drop as you climb higher. Clouds dip into the stunning mountain range like a system of intertwined rivers flowing down from the largest mountain range in the world.
Sikkim Mountain range - one of my favorite pictures of the experience
Darjeeling at Sunset
The Background
During my first weeks in India, I had heard tales of Sikkim and their wonderful momentum towards a sustainable and completely ‘Organic’ society. Ahead of our journey North, I was able to learn more thanks to a lucky find in a Kolkata used bookstore - Jiwan Rai’s Remember the Name: Sikkim: India’s First Organic State. I highly suggest everyone reads this for more details on the political, social, cultural and economic context of this beautiful place.
The Sikkimese message is simple but profound - “Organic farming can heal our Earth, help our families, and offer hope for our shared future. Will anyone listen? Will anyone join us?”
There is so much to highlight about their work, but it’s already impressive you’ve read this far :) so here’s what we’ll prioritize …
A brief history of Sustainable agriculture in India and how Sikkim plays into that picture
What does being a ‘100% Organic State’ actually mean? How does their mentality represent a larger movement beyond just farming and gardening practices?
As the first state in the world, not only India, to achieve this, how did they actually pull this off? I’ve included a table of specific actions below rather than try to write them all in narrative form.
Where does Sikkim go from here? How can we follow?
Sikkim - A Brief History:
The Green Revolution in the 1960s introduced pesticides (many supplied by the US) and showed great promise in the first few years after adoption. However, farmers started to realize quickly that while short term yields were up, the soil and crops were changing… and not for the better.
“What began as a genuine desire to increase agricultural productivity in Sikkim through chemicals has become dangerous to the soil and to the health of the people and livestock.” (Rai)
They had to seek a different approach that would better position the health of Sikkim over the long-term.
28 years ago, in 1994, Chief Minister Chamling was elected into leadership. It seems that this transition / push for sustainability started with him in many ways. After he was elected, he made a speech that immediately struck me because it is something I have never heard from the US:
‘To All with Love,
My government is with all those farmers who deserve a dignified life anchored to a dignified profession. The state government will lend every possible aid by way of subsidies, rebates, start-up loans, consultation, capacity building, free benefits doled out to farmers by the state government etc. This offer is for all farmers, agro-entrepreneurs and educated youth who aspire a career in organic farming.’ - Pawan Chamling
From Day 1, Chamling was unwavering in his commitment to this strategy and it has paid off. And not just in success for the ecology of Sikkim but for the economic livelihoods of its people. In the mid-1990s, 41% of the population was living in extreme poverty. By 2011-12, that had dropped to just 8%...
Of course, wary of correlation vs causation, there are other factors that might have impacted this drop in poverty than just the Organic transition, but the variable of Sikkim’s new ‘Organic Mission’ should also not be understated.
Some other fun facts on Sikkim
ALL of their cultivable land is now certified organic - over 76,000 hectares.
Sikkim only occupies 2% of land in India, but it is home to 26% of flowering plants species.
82.31% of geographical area is under administrative protection of State Forestry, Environment & Wildlife Management Depts - ie Forests + Glaciers
Geographically, Sikkim is the only Indian State with five climatic zones (tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, sub-alpine and alpine) all within 114 kilometers, capped by majestic Mt Kanchenjunga, India’s highest, and the world’s third highest, mountain.
Beyond ecology, Sikkim has the lowest crime rate based on stats on murder, theft, kidnapping, rape, and riots
Sikkim is also the safest state in India for women while having the best working conditions for them as well. (Rai, xv)
Sikkim is the only state that produced an increase in forest cover, achieving an increase of 4% over the 20 year period from 1993-2013 - that increase is still expanding today.
2. What does ‘Organic farming’ actually mean?
100% of Sikkim’s cultivable land is now certified organic on an international standard… this means that after state-wide testing of soil, there are no traces of chemical fertilizers. This took a lot of hard work after the history of fertilizers in the region, but now they can start from ground zero with a terrific foundation. This also allows their farmers to benefit from selling a much more desired product at a greater price point (both nationally and internationally).
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) defines organic farming as (Rai, p 84):
To produce food of high quality in sufficient quantity
To interact in a constructive and life enhancing way with natural systems and cycles.
To consider the wider social and ecological impact of the organic production and processing system.
To encourage and enhance biological cycles within the farming system, involving micro-organisms, soil flora and fauna, plants and animals.
To develop a valuable and sustainable aquatic ecosystem
To maintain and increase long term fertility of soils.
To promote the healthy use and proper care of water, water resources and all life therein.
To use, as far as possible, renewable resources in a locally organized production system
To give all livestock conditions of life with due consideration for the basic aspects of their innate behavior.
To minimize all forms of pollution
To process organic products using renewable resources
To produce fully biodegradable organic products
To allow everyone involved in organic production and processing a quality of life which meets their basic needs and allows an adequate return and satisfaction from their work, including a safe working environment.
To progress toward an entire production, processing and distribution chain which is both socially just and ecologically responsible.
I know that’s a lot of bullet points, but I love this definition because of how comprehensive and futuristic it is. Sikkim’s Organic Mission is not just about how to grow a garden, the vision encapsulates an outlook on life and social systems that includes the best interests of every being involved.
A Greenhouse in Gangtok - Sikkim’s capital city
A nice cow intrigued by our presence
3. Specific Actions Taken, spearheaded by state government and implemented by communities
The above table is an attempt to consolidate and organize many of Sikkim’s actions since the mid-1990s - HOW they implement all of these is equally as impressive.
The below breakdown shows the 5 levels of actors that work together to collectively make decisions and implement solutions like new technologies.
Individuals
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Pachayats - decentralized community governments with locally elected leaders
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Grand Panchayat Units (5-6 Panchayats combine to make 1 GPU)
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State Agencies - like the Horticulture Dept or Forest Dept - coordinate efforts with GPUs
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Chief Minister + Cabinet set agenda based on community feedback
Information flows up and down this structure fluidly, inviting inputs from above and implementing solutions from below.
4. Where is Sikkim Going and how can we Follow?
Sikkim is a very new state, having only joined the Indian Union and voting in favor of democracy rather than monarchy in 1975. Being a young state has its disadvantages, but it can also be an exciting blank canvas on which to build something completely unique. Sikkim also has the advantage of learning from the previous mistakes of other states, maybe even the Green Revolution practices that occurred in the 1960s. That’s why building something new is so exciting.
Sikkim’s leadership clarifies a choice for us all, asking: What are our priorities?
Option A: Neoclassical economic mission ‘to maximize profits regardless of the cost to the earth and its ecosphere’.
Option B: Organic Mission to ‘promote sustainable development through an eco-friendly approach’.
In my mind, beyond the social, political, economic lens, the choice also boils down to Short-Term vs Long-Term.
Sikkim has chosen an Organic Mission that considers long-term prosperity over short term profits. And in the words of Mr Subba, this is inspiring the next generation of Sikkim to choose farming as their profession rather than falling into the corporate structure that is pulling so many young Indians into the urban centers from rural communities like Sikkim. The young farmers, in great part to the support of government structure, have started to thrive in a flourishing economic climate and biosphere.
Next, another positive economic result, Sikkim will advocate for Carbon Credits from the national and international community. Their increasing Forest land absorbs tremendous amounts of carbon + Streams / Rivers that descend from their glaciers flow down into the Indian plains to be used for agricultural irrigation and clean drinking water. They are seeking compensation for these resources they’ve worked so hard to protect.
And now, with 100% of land now certified organic, they can start to ramp up production + think outside the box to new technologies like hydroponics (soil-less) and vertical farming to make better use of their resources and drive revenue back into the farming industry!!!
The River Hoogli, fed by melting Himalayan ice caps
My time in India was an amazing experience, and even more meaningful to be able to share it with my dad. Very few sons get this much time with their fathers, and even fewer have an opportunity to take adventures with them when you both are adults and friends. I’m returning to the USA with a soul full of gratitude for everyone who looked out for me along the way and took the time to teach me about a new way to approach life. I look forward to returning the favor.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this (LONG) case study today. AS always, you can read and listen more on our website: Brym.co…
If you’re looking for some recommended reading, take a gander at Jiwan Rai’s BOOK, which was the foundation for my research for this study. Also just a quick and inspiring read, based on identifying actions rather than doomsday rhetoric.
:)
