Shillong, Dec 1: Meghalaya reinforced its position as a global hub for organic innovation as Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma presided over the closing ceremony of the 1st Northeast India Organic Week and the 4th World IFOAM Organic Youth Summit. The three-day convergence brought together agricultural pioneers, global experts and young changemakers from 13 countries, marking a milestone for the region’s organic movement.
The state also launched the Organic Compendium and the MEGNOLIA organic agriculture website, aimed at strengthening knowledge-sharing and market access for farmers.
Addressing the delegates, CM Sangma called organic farming “an intrinsic part of Meghalaya’s identity”, and outlined reforms to scale up the state’s organic value chain. He highlighted key infrastructure upgrades—including the Shillong airport runway extension—designed to boost agro-exports.
Emphasising the upcoming UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, the Chief Minister noted Meghalaya’s transformation in women’s empowerment:
“In 2018, only 3–4% of women were in Self Help Groups; today, 95% of rural women are part of this network.”
He also announced an ambitious homestay scheme targeting 3,000 new units with 75% subsidy, integrating agriculture and tourism to ensure grassroots economic growth.
Vinita Sudhanshu, General Manager of APEDA, hailed Meghalaya as a national model for bottom-up agricultural transformation. She announced APEDA’s plan to take two organic Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) from Meghalaya to Gulfood Expo, boosting international exposure.
Jennifer Chang, Executive Director of IFOAM Asia, praised Meghalaya as a “potential global model for holistic organic development” where agriculture, community and tourism blend naturally. She urged Meghalaya to lead international collaborations and champion next year’s UN theme on women farmers.
Meghalaya’s strategic partnership with APEDA has already enabled exports of over 50 metric tonnes of premium organic produce—including Khasi mandarin, pineapple and ginger—to Gulf nations.
The state plans to invest Rs 250 crore to build a globally competitive organic ecosystem.
A buyer from Malaysia, Selina Gan, compared Khasi pineapples to global varieties, calling Meghalaya’s “the sweetest”.
Jirang Organic Agro Farmers Producers Company Ltd. shared success stories of collective farming and its milestone export of Khasi Mandarin to Dubai.
Sessions included themes such as Policy & Advocacy: Amplifying Youth Voices in the Organic Movement, Organic Food in Central Asia, with delegates from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and Building Stronger Global Youth Networks for Organic Agriculture.
The event also underscored Meghalaya’s target to certify 1 lakh hectares of organic land by 2028, using a hub-and-spoke model to connect village clusters with processing units and export channels.
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