Communication Strategy for Promoting Organic Farming in a Hilly State of India

The pace of development has been accelerated with the effectiveness of communication. Communication can be made effective by designing communication strategy in line with the source, content of the message, channel and the target audience. Organic farming involves modern and traditional agricultural practices. Farmers in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand follow farming in traditional way, and these farming systems, therefore, can be easily converted into organic farming, as the soil and environment there is almost free of the residuals of synthetic chemicals. Organic farming will convert the subsistence farming in hilly areas to sustainable agriculture. This study aims at designing a communication strategy to popularise organic farming by using mass media, interpersonal channels and farmers’ participation. This paper makes a case for the use of participatory communication, involving farmers, for promoting organic farming practices.