Maintaining integrity of organic certification system, a key challenge for India: APEDA Chairman, Mr Santosh Sarangi
Considering that organic food products constitute a minuscule part of India's total farm exports, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is working towards exempting organic processed foods from export ban, a top Commerce Ministry official said at The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) event held.With a view to provide an enabling policy environment, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is trying to get that there would never be any ban on organic processed food exports even if the primary produce of that commodity is subjected to some restrictions, said Mr A.K. Tripathy, joint secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries.
Talking about the lack of domestic standards, Mr Tripathy said, There is another challenge that today there is no credible domestic certification system in India and that is something the Ministry of Agriculture or whoever has to do.
The former chairman of farm products export body Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Mr Tripathy further said that credibility of India's organic food exporters would remain in question outside the country unless the dichotomy between domestic and exports is removed.
If domestic standards are made compulsory then the supply will become much larger and hence the supply available for exports will also be much larger, he added.
Mr Santosh Sarangi, chairman cum secretary, APEDA said that one of the major challenges for India is to maintain the integrity of organic certification system.
All stakeholders like farmers, processors, traders and the certification bodies in the organic process should be fully involved and committed to maintain the integrity of the certification system, said Mr Sarangi.
He also said that there is a huge potential for the country to penetrate into the $64 billion worth global organic food market as India currently has a meagre 0.35 per cent share in the global organic food basket.
Mr Sarangi also said that APEDA is working towards increasing the portfolio of organic products available for exports from India in order to have a higher share of organic products which are exported.
We are expanding from merely crop production system to include aquaculture, textiles and livestock, he said.
Earlier, while addressing the ASSOCHAM conference, Mr Somnath Poudyal, Agriculture Minister of Sikkim said that limited availability of organic inputs like bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides, organic seeds, planting materials and others is a key challenge being faced by the organic farming community in India.
He also emphasised upon the need to focus on scientific backup and research in organic production system.
We must assure our farming community that their produce will be fully marketed at a fair and legitimate price and premium price must be offered to farmers for organic products that differentiate their products from chemical-based ones, said Mr Poudyal.
He further said that contract farming is another area which is appropriate in encouraging farmers to produce quality organic harvests.
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