Interesting news for everyone interested in organic agriculture, whatever exactly that might be.
In India, the ministry of agriculture has decided to set up a research institution devoted to the subject, the National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI).
Setting up the institute in Sikkim assumes significance as it is the only state in the country which has adopted organic farming on a universal basis (as a fully organic state).
Meanwhile, half-way around the world from Sikkim, a couple of organic food companies, Organic Valley and Clif Bar & Co., plus local philanthropists John and Tashia Morgridge, have established a $2 million endowment at UW-Madison’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It funds the US’s (the world’s?) first endowed chair focused on plant breeding for organic crops. The first incumbent is famous maize breeder and agronomy professor at UW-Madison, Bill Tracy.
Tracy said the funding will establish the first permanent graduate program for plant breeding of organic crops and create an incentive for other professors to teach more courses specific to organic farming.