Twelfth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Sikkim, in 1975, became India’s twenty-second State. Farming and tourism are the most practiced occupations in Sikkim. In 2003, the Sikkim Government concluded that Sikkim turning organic would be economically profitable, and would enhance the environmental status of the state, thereby encouraging eco-tourism and improving biodiversity. Organic farming is a method of farming without the use of chemical fertilizers and genetically modified (GM) seeds. However, it was observed that every stakeholder in the value chain of organic vegetables faced significant difficulties, particularly the farmers. To understand this further, design research about organic farming concerning vegetable produce was conducted under Echostream Pvt. Ltd., a design studio in Gangtok, Sikkim. Sikkim received 14.5 Lakh tourists in 2017 while the projected local population after the 2011 Census was 6.43 Lakh. The imbalanced flow of distribution led to the formation of an intricate web of concerns relating to production and consumption. It is extremely difficult to solve these concerns synchronically or efficiently. The present study looked at the relation of Sikkim producing organic produce to the way it is being distributed and consumed. As a result, the Ideal Product Theory has been put forth: Production, Consumption, and Distribution are three components that can be weighed together, as a tool, while innovating a specific service, product or policy. Although a profoundly ideal product can probably not exist, innovative solutions with thought-out production, consumption, and distribution together, can become the most ideal products in terms of environmental sustainability and the psychological well-being of people involved.