Indo-Swiss Dialogue on Organic Agriculture. Report on the Indian Government Delegation Visit to Switzerland Mandated by the Planning Commission

Summary

Switzerland is a pioneering country for organic agriculture, and the Swiss organic sector is among the most successful and best organized ones of the World, now involving more than 10% of all farmers and a significant share in the retail sales. Agriculture in Switzerland is done both in the fertile midlands as well as in the marginal mountain regions, where practices are still rather traditional with only low chemical inputs. Because of these features and the political neutrality of the federal government, India and Switzerland are ‘natural allies’ in the field of organic farming. The Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), a non-profit foundation, is the largest and most active institute of its kind worldwide, employing more than 100 full time researchers. Its International Cooperation division is active in consulting organic projects in several countries of Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. In India, FiBL is providing consultancy to the INDOCERT project (organic certification) and to the Maikaal Research Project (organic cotton). Through its project activities FiBL got in contact with the Indian government.
Based on an invitation from the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO), the Indian Government decided to send a delegation headed by Shri Sompal, Member Planning Commission, to study the organisation of the organic sector in Switzerland and to establish partnership in this field.