Structure:

Introduction: (upto 30 words) Start with the objectives of the Policy

Body: (upto 100 words) Explain the features of the policy

Conclusion: (upto 30 words) Conclude by pointing out that, this policy can help improve farmers’ income

Supporting Points:

• Karnataka is the first state to come out with an organic policy
• It seeks to cater to the entire organic value chain and signals the shift in emphasis from traditional agriculture, which is increasingly becoming unsustainable. This policy push will not only take farmers to the next level but also engage them in many ways: from organising them to educating them; from pushing them towards certification to helping them find a proper connect with retailers.
• The policy is a multi-level engagement that is designed to shift from traditional farming in view of recurring droughts and erosion of soil quality. In that sense, it is a very forward looking policy and provides the farmer with much-needed market linkages
• The policy will enable the next level of development in organic farming.
• Its main aim is to make organic farming mainstream and transform agriculture in Karnataka into a sustainable and remunerative operation to ensure production of nutritious food by promoting eco-friendly organic farming and marketing systems.
• Incidentally, the state had come out with an organic farming policy way back in 2004 but very few farmers showed any interest then. As part of the new policy strategy, the government proposes to introduce organic farming in mainstream agriculture, focus on region and season specific crops to increase farm output and income; add such farmers as beneficiaries under various schemes; adopt a group-centric approach in production, handling and marketing organic produce.

Improving farm incomes: Due to a large chunk of farmers in the state being dependent on rain-fed agriculture, the policy looks at diversified farming for maximising production, productivity and farm income.