Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has declared Ladakh the country's first fully (100%) organic Union Territory, covering Leh and Kargil districts after a phased move away from synthetic fertilisers and chemical pesticides. In July 2026, Ladakh barred farm use of chemical and synthetic fertilisers, along with their procurement, distribution, sale and marketing, and 207 villages had obtained organic certification by 27 July 2026. Its main organic crops are apricots, sea buckthorn, buckwheat, barley and vegetables. India's organic standards are set under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), run by APEDA. Sikkim became India's first fully organic state in 2016.
