Shillong, June 26 : Meghalaya opened a global stage for women farmers on Thursday, hosting an international organic conference and pumping ₹5.80 crore into village cooperatives to push its organic mission.
The two-day International Conference on Women Farmers And Sustainable Organic Agriculture drew delegates from Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Japan, New Zealand, and five other nations to the State Convention Centre. Around 400 women farmers, researchers, and policymakers gathered under the theme “Women Farmers Leading Change Globally for Organic Food Systems.”
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said Meghalaya’s matrilineal society gives it a unique advantage. “Connect farming, sustainability, and organic practices to our matrilineal system, and you unlock something really magical,” he said, noting SHGs and farmer groups have grown over 1,000% in eight years.
Agriculture Minister Timothy D Shira called women the “custodians of traditional knowledge” and said the state is investing in processing, certification, and branding for crops like Lakadong turmeric and Khasi mandarin to turn women farmers into value-chain stakeholders.
The state is chasing one lakh hectares under organic cultivation by 2028. With nearly 24,000 hectares already NPOP-certified, Phase II of the Meghalaya State Organic Mission will bring 44,000 more hectares and 46,000 small farmers under organic practices, officials said.
Backed by ₹295 crore over three years, the Mission runs through MEGNOLIA to build Meghalaya into a global organic hub. IFOAM Organics Asia President Mathew John said the state “already possesses what the rest of Asia is trying to build,” crediting its mix of biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, and women’s leadership.
Cheques worth ₹5.80 crore went to Integrated Village Cooperative Societies across 12 districts as the second tranche for organic input support under Phase I.
