Karnataka was one of the first states in the country to institute an official policy for organic farming, way back in 2004. The most recent revision of the policy, in 2017, envisaged converting 10% of the 121.7 lakh hectares under cultivation in the state to organic agriculture by 2022.

Organic farming is practiced across almost all states in India (Figure 1), with Sikkim formally declared a 100 percent organic state in 2016. The top three states, accounting for almost half of the area under organic cultivation, are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

However, research shows farming organically can be more profitable than conventional practices, bringing in 22% to 35% more organic farmers than conventional farmers. Even in terms of yield, organic farms can produce almost as much as industrial farms.

Under PKVY & MOVCDNER schemes farmers are provided financial assistance of Rs 31000/ ha / 3 years and Rs 32500/ ha/ 3years respectively for organic inputs such as seeds, bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides, organic manure, compost/ vermi-compost, botanical extracts etc.