Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
in our interview, even joked: “Actually, the Agriculture Minister is the
only man who is giving support to this biodiversity.” According to this
official, the Agriculture Minister championed the policy throughout the
department and, given his position, succeeded in reverting it to a docu-
ment promoting 100 percent organic farming throughout the state within
ten years. This official then explained that, despite his reservations about
organic farming, as a civil servant he had no choice but to comply with
what the top representatives mandated.
Finally, after Vijayan's considerable shock in October 2008, the pol-
icy was eventually inalized in early 2010 and alloted 100 lakh rupees
that year under the newly created Organic Farming Programme.24 The
Biodiversity Board and Thanal were victorious: not only did the ruling
government favor the policy, but the policy had also become an officially
sanctioned and funded Agriculture Department program. Moreover, this
version of the policy steadfastly championed organic farming as the best
method of agriculture for Kerala.
Chief Minister Achuthanandan introduced the policy to the world in
a media blitz in Kozhikode District on May 17, 2010, and in the follow-
ing days the policy was featured by several national newspapers. Sub-
sequently, Achuthanandan and Ratnakaran commenced an informal
publicity tour throughout the state, broadcasting the policy's existence at
various events and inaugurations for the remainder of the year .25
This protracted struggle between the Biodiversity Board and the
Agriculture Department over the organic farming policy is part of a larger
struggle within Kerala's civil society and government over environmental
governance. Put another way, the Biodiversity Board sought to change
agricultural standards, rules, and norms to extend the decentralization
of civic engagement into sustainable agriculture and agricultural policy.
The board gained momentum for these goals by tapping into the existing
LDF campaign for decentralization and by relying on its political alliances
with LDF leadership. The extensive network of farmers and environmen-
talists developed through the process of creating Biodiversity Registers
and formulating the Kerala State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
supported the board's aims.
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