Organic Farming and Sustainable Development in SAARC Nations: Key Issues, Opportunities, and Challenges

Abstract Agriculture plays dominant role in South Asian economy that provide jobs to rural people and provide food security to almost about two billion south Asian citizens but continuous conventional farming in which there is excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other agrochemicals are responsible for numerous problems of sustainability which comprises long term human health hazard, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and water pollution. Organic agriculture has emerged as an appropriate replacement to conventional agriculture in the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which comprise eight members i.e., Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, that addresses all the environmental problems and supports sustainable development. This paper is exploring the interlinkage between organic farming and the theme of the conference i.e., "Sustainability and Development in SAARC Nations: Key Issues, Opportunities, and Challenges," It assesses the promise that organic farming holds out for sustainable livelihoods, highlights the salient issues which agriculture in the region confronts, and explores the challenges that remain between the region and universal acceptance. The article discusses how organic farming can integrate ecological harmony with economic growth through examples such as the transition of Sikkim towards completely organic farming, Bhutan's national vision of organics, and policy learnings from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Policies regarding SAARC knowledge transfer, trade facilitation, and regional coordination are also covered. Organic farming can be a central part of South Asia's sustainable development agenda if it is supported with rational policies, institutional support, and regional coordination, the study concludes based on its findings.