By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : UN Food & Agriculture Organisation awards Sikkim for becoming world’s first totally organic agriculture state.Sikkim has won this year’s UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Future Policy for Gold Award for its achievement in becoming the world’s first totally organic agriculture state. FAO said that Sikkim was considered for the award for its policies on Agroecology and Sustainable food systems. It won the gold by beating 51 nominated policies from 25 countries. Brazil, Denmark and Equador won Silver for their policies. The UN body said that the policies of Sikkim had helped more than 66,000 farmers, boosted tourism and set an example to other countries. The small Himalayan state of Sikkim was declared fully organic state in 2016 after phasing out chemical fertilisers and pesticides and substituting them with sustainable alternatives.Accepting the award at the FAO headquarters in Rome on Monday, Chamling extended an invitation to the world, saying: “Let us build an organic world together.” “An organic world is definitely achievable. I also appeal to the world community that we do not carry out any kind of development work and business at the cost of the environment,” he said. Nicknamed the “Oscar for best policies”, the award is co-organised with the FAO by The World Future Council (WFC) and IFOAM – Organics International, and recognises “the world’s best laws and policies