The 1st Northeast India Organic Week and the 4th World IFOAM Organic Youth Summit concluded with a special session addressed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, reinforcing the state’s aspiration to become a global centre for the organic value chain and youth-led agricultural innovation. The three-day convergence brought together participants from 13 countries, including farmers, policy experts and young leaders.The Chief Minister said his government’s policies were centred on supporting and uplifting farmers, noting that organic cultivation formed a core part of Meghalaya’s heritage. He announced infrastructure improvements such as the planned extension of the Shillong airport runway to accommodate larger aircraft by 2027. Citing the upcoming UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, he highlighted the rapid expansion of women’s Self Help Groups—from 3–4 per cent participation in 2018 to 95 per cent in rural areas—and outlined an initiative to support 3,000 homestays with a 75 per cent subsidy to boost rural incomes through agriculture–tourism linkages.He also launched the organic compendium and the MEGNOLIA digital platform during the ceremony, followed by an interaction with farmers and entrepreneurs.Vinita Sudhanshu, General Manager, APEDA, commended Meghalaya for its community-driven approach and said two Farmer Producer Organisations from the state would be taken to the Gulfood event for global exposure. IFOAM Asia Executive Director Jennifer Chang praised Meghalaya as a potential model for holistic organic development and encouraged future collaborations, especially in the context of the UN’s focus on women farmers.Isawanda Laloo, Agriculture Secretary, said Meghalaya remained naturally organic due to its terrain and traditional practices. She noted that more than 50 metric tonnes of premium produce—such as Khasi Mandarin, pineapples and ginger—had been exported with APEDA’s support. She outlined a Rs 2.5 billion investment plan to strengthen a globally competitive organic ecosystem and urged young agri-preneurs to take the state’s produce to global markets.Representing local producers, Ibalahun Thangkhiew of Jirang Organic Agro Farmers Producers Company said the organisation, established in 2017, now comprises 433 farmers across 15 villages and had sent its first consignment of Khasi Mandarin to Dubai in 2022. During an interaction, a Malaysian buyer described Meghalaya’s pineapples as sweeter than commercial global varieties.The final day featured discussions on youth advocacy in the organic movement, network-building for global collaboration, and sustainable agricultural practices in Central Asia. The event also highlighted Meghalaya’s target to certify 1 lakh hectares of organic land by 2028 through a hub-and-spoke model connecting village clusters to processing centres.The dual summit, organised in partnership with the Government of Meghalaya, APEDA, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and IFOAM–Organics Asia, strengthened market access for local producers and enhanced Meghalaya’s leadership in the international organic movement. The state reaffirmed its ‘Organic by Tradition’ identity while positioning itself as a forward-looking hub for sustainable agriculture and youth innovation.