Kolkata: The United Nations has awarded an internationally valued certificate to West Bengal for community initiatives in the Matir Srishti program.
The UN has also recognised Bengal’s famed Gobindbhog, Tulaipanji and Kanakchur aromatic rice as food and cultural heritage.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN awarded this internationally valued certificate for the Matir Srishti program that was launched in 2020 in the dry Paschimanchal districts to grow crops in non-fertile land.
This initiative has crafted a unique vision that integrates strategies linked to land, irrigation and panchayats.
The aim was to make barren, non-arable and mono-crop land fertile for growing multiple crops.
Additional irrigation facilities have been created and lakhs of livelihood opportunities have been generated under this initiative.
It has received this UN recognition as a worthy community initiative in the category of preservation of natural heritage and biodiversity.
UN-FAO also recognised the three varieties of aromatic rice as food and cultural heritage.
Gobindbhog and Tulaipanji varieties have already got the GI tag.
