India’s National Programme for Organic Products (NPOP) has a unique feature that prevents the resale of products sold to uncertified processors or traders as organic, says Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman M Angamuthu. 

 

'In order to identify the handler involved at each stage of a transaction, it is mandatory that the buyer of an organic product also need to be certified.  Adequate provisions have been made in the product flow of multi-ingredient products too, as several suppliers certified by multiple certification bodies may be involved in the supply chain,' said the Chairman of APEDA, which is the nodal body for organic produce production, certification and exports. 

 

APEDA has developed a web-based traceability system that ensures the traceability of the product and conformity to standards during production, processing and handling. 

 

Certification’s mandate

This helps in identifying the movement of a product at each stage right from the harvest, to procurement, transport, processing and dispatch. This enables the verification of the period during which the produce is held and ensures compliance at each level. It also ensures that the quantity is in accordance with the input and processing methodology, he said. 

 

'The NPOP certification mandates that products which are exported from the country have been produced and handled by certified operators. This also includes farmers who are the producers. The certification programme permits certification of the supplier of products by any of the certification bodies accredited under NPOP,' Angamuthu said. 

 

This results in the involvement of multiple certifications for a single product, resulting in APEDA developing the Web-based traceability system. On the other hand, in order to carry out efficient verification and validation through onsite inspections and document verifications, only competent certification bodies have been provided accreditation to certify the processing and trading units, he said. 

 

Surveillance activities

The inspection and certification procedures followed by these certification bodies are assessed by a team of subject experts annually. In addition, to the routine audits and assessments, inspections to check compliance at the level of selected farmers, processors and exporters are carried out unannounced, besides verification audits being done, the APEDA chairman said. 

 

'In all these surveillance activities, conformity to NPOP and the specific requirements of importing countries are assessed and the deviations reported are taken into consideration for appropriate disciplinary measures,' he said. 

 

India has developed the standard for accreditation under NPOP in line with the requirements of major importing countries. 'The international standard for conformity assessment has been adopted for accreditation and certification. This has provided added advantage to India in obtaining recognition from importing countries. Accordingly, the unprocessed plant products which are certified under NPOP do not require additional certification as per the Regulation of the European Union, Switzerland and Great Britain,' Angamuthu said. 

 

Deal with Taiwan

The farmer community enjoys the privilege since compliance with NPOP provides additional benefits for seamless export to multiple destinations. India is negotiating with major trading countries such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and UAE for mutual recognition, allowing smooth conduct of bilateral trade. 

 

'Recently, we concluded a negotiation with Taiwan. It is expected to enhance the organic trade between both the countries in the coming days,' the APEDA Chairman said. 

 

Organic products were being exported before NPOP was launched but subsequently, the trade has expanded with India going in for equivalence arrangements with other countries. 'With demand increasing for organic feed from livestock and poultry abroad,  India has turned out to be one of the main suppliers of organic feed,' Angamuthu said.  

 

Stating that India has immense potential to export organic products since it was shipping out only 25 per cent of its total production, the APEDA chairman said the difficulty in capturing the overseas market was because retail brands were exporting as raw material commodities or ingredients. 

 

Action against defaulters

To a question on the disciplinary action taken by APEDA against a few certification bodies, Angamuthu said surveillance activities during the Covid pandemic have been found to have loose ends which required rectification to maintain the integrity of Indian organic products in overseas markets. 

 

'To protect the credibility of the certification programme, actions have been taken against non-compliant certification bodies based on the severity of the non-compliance. Disciplinary measures have been imposed on responsible actors also in the supply chain such as grower groups, processors and exporters,' he said. 

 

If the identified irregularities are found to be due to willful violations, action is taken imposed to prevent further lapses in the certification programme, he said, adding that APEDA is in the process of introducing several control mechanisms in the monitoring system to prevent willful violations and irregularities.  

 

The authority is also taking additional steps to educate farmer producer organisations, groups, producer companies and self-help groups to meet the requirements at the farm and post-harvest levels. 

 

APEDA is also laying special emphasis on promoting organic products from the North-Eastern region. It is also promoting organic millets as part of the International Millet Year in 2023. 

 

'As millets are generally consumed as the staple food in the country, value-added products of millets are being taken up for promotional activities to generate better foreign exchange,' he said.

Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry attended 10th EAS EMM (East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting) today on 17th September 2022 in Siem Reap City, Cambodia. The meeting saw representation from all 10 ASEAN countries as well as 8 partner countries viz. Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the USA.

 

The Ministers exchanged views on global and regional economic developments including the outcomes of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, post-pandemic economic recovery efforts, measures adopted to mitigate the impact of global supply chains disruptions and strong inflation pressure.

 

The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to recover and build greater economic resilience in the region by facilitating trade, investment, and secure and resilient supply chains; undertaking supportive fiscal policy measures to encourage economic growth; and ensuring that strong macroeconomic fundamentals are in place to retain sustainable growth in the region. The Ministers also noted the necessity of closer and deeper cooperation and coordination in the region to mitigate the negative economic impact on the post-pandemic recovery.

 

Smt. Anupriya Patel in her remarks acknowledged the pivotal role of EAS in strengthening multilateralism and promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in the region. She commended the ASEAN Secretariat for putting together a useful analysis of regional and global economic developments including economic developments in EAS economies which shows that India did well with highest GDP growth of 8.7% among EAS economies in 2021 and in spite of a forecast of some tapering of GDP growth in 2022 and 2023, India is set to maintain top position in GDP growth among EAS economies.

 

Smt. Anupriya Patel informed the meeting that despite numerous challenges & constraints, India has successfully administered more than 2 billion vaccine doses including booster doses to its citizens and is currently focused on vaccinating all eligible citizens. She reiterated India’s willingness to collaborate with East Asian partners in the production of vaccines, generic drugs and medical technologies used for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

 

The Ministers welcomed the successful outcomes of the Twelfth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference held on 12-17 June 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland and resolved to strengthen the rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable, and transparent multilateral trading system. Smt. Anupriya Patel while giving her views on the Ministerial Conference stated that the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) decision enabling ease of authorisation for production of patented vaccines will boost vaccine equity, accessibility and affordability and will result in faster pandemic response in future.

 

The Ministers noted Indonesia’s priorities for its G20 Presidency for 2022 and expressed their support for Indonesia’s Presidency under the theme “Recover Together, Recover Stronger'. Smt. Anupriya Patel congratulated Indonesia for its ongoing successful G20 Presidency and assured that India, as a member of the G20 Troika and the incoming G20 Presidency, stands in solidarity with Indonesia and supports Indonesian priorities in the G20.

 

Smt. Anupriya Patel reiterated India's commitment to strengthening the EAS as an ASEAN-led organisation and its support in collective actions of the EAS Forum aimed at mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic and strengthening regional economic architecture.

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched the National Logistics Policy in New Delhi today. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that India had taken yet another important step towards becoming a developed nation with the National Logistics Policy.  

 

The Prime Minister said that India is emerging as a world manufacturing hub. Stressing that ‘Policy plus performance’ equalled progress, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the logistics Policy would act as a driving and guiding force. He said that drone technology would emerge as important aspect of transport and Logistics sector, especially for remote areas. The Prime Minister also pointed out that we have to bring the logistics cost from 13 percent to a single digit number as soon as possible.

 

Delivering the welcome address at the release of the National Logistics Policy, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal said that the National Logistics policy would end to silos and bring all departments and states together, in-line with the holistic vision of the Prime Minister.

 

Referring to logistics as the lifeline of the economy, the Commerce Minister said that the National Logistics Policy would give India’s logistics sector a new direction and take it to greater heights. He observed that COVID-19 had displayed the strength of India’s logistics sector in front of the world. He said that food grains and other essential items reached all people on time and we achieved new milestones in international trade.

 

The Minister expressed confidence that the implementation of the National Logistics Policy would bring down logistics costs, give a fillip to international trade, help in making India ‘atmanirbhar’ or self-reliant, usher in prosperity in the nation and present new opportunities to our startups. The policy would be highly beneficial to the farmers of the country, helping them to take their produce to the markets at a faster pace and reduce wastage and delay. This would bring down prices in the economy as well, he added.

 

Outlining several crucial initiatives that India had taken in the field of transport infrastructure such as UDAAN, Bharatmaala, Sagarmala, National Infrastructure Pipeline etc, the Shri Goyal said that a new chapter had been added to the book of growth when PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was launched last year. 'National Logistics Policy and GatiShakti will work as double engines for logistics', he added.

 

Terming infrastructure development as a sure road to economic development, the Minister said that technology and innovation formed an important part of this mission. It is in this context that the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) has been prepared as an integrated portal in which information about the location of goods can be obtained on a real-time basis with considerable ease, he added. Calling the National Logistics Policy as a unique example of intensive stakeholder consultations, Shri Goyal said that intensive discussions and deliberations had been held with industry, policy matter experts and Ministries to finalize the policy.

 

Shri Goyal said that under the Prime Minister’s leadership and guidance, India has been transforming with new thinking and new confidence and a modern and developed nation is being built. The Prime Minister’s life, he said, has been giving the nation the inspiration to serve selflessly and initiate a social upliftment of the masses. 'You are truly a Compassionate leader, with a Vision and a Decisive leader, on a Mission', the Minister told the Prime Minister. He added that the grateful nation prays for the Prime Minister’s long life and good health.

 

Shri Goyal thanked the Prime Minister for giving the nation ‘paanch pran’ on August 15th, inspiring citizens to work with dedication to make India a developed nation in the ‘Amrit Kaal’. He ensured the Prime Minister that together the nation would work to make its logistics sector a world-class one and fulfil the wishes of the nation.

Shri Goyal also conveyed his heartiest birthday wishes to the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. He termed the Prime Minister as the Country’s and the world's most popular people leader and the messiah of the poor. He noted that in-line with the Prime Minister’s work and vision, the entire nation celebrated this day by dedicating it to service and social work. He announced that the nation had carried out a world record worthy blood donation drive today to mark the Prime Minister’s birthday.

 

Logistics efficiency is a function of infrastructure, services (digital systems / processes / regulatory framework) and human resource. PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP) for multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various economic zones, has been launched. It is a transformative approach for improving logistics efficiency and reducing logistics cost, with focus on integrating existing and proposed infrastructure development initiatives of  different agencies, to ensure first and last mile connectivity, for seamless movement of people and goods.

 

While development of integrated infrastructure and network planning is envisaged to be addressed through the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, for efficiency in services (processes, digital systems, regulatory framework) and human resource, the National Logistics Policy is the logical next step. This will provide a comprehensive agenda for development of entire logistics ecosystem.

 

The vision of the policy is to develop a technologically enabled, integrated, cost-efficient, resilient, sustainable and trusted logistics ecosystem in the country for accelerated and inclusive growth.

 

The policy aspires to reduce cost of logistics in India to be comparable to global benchmarks by 2030, endeavour to be among top 25 countries by 2030 in the Logistics Performance Index ranking, and create data driven decision support mechanism for an efficient logistics ecosystem.

 

The Policy will be implemented through a Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP). The interventions proposed under the CLAP are divided into eight key action areas:(i) Integrated Digital Logistics Systems (ii) Standardisation of physical assets and benchmarking service quality standards (iii) Logistics Human Resources Development and Capacity Building (iv) State Engagement (v) EXIM (Export-Import) Logistics (vi) Service Improvement framework (vii) Sectoral Plan for Efficient Logistics (viii) Facilitation of Development of Logistics Parks.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nithin Gadkari, Union Minister of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.

India's decision to ban exports of broken rice and impose export duties of up to 20% on other rice varieties has come under fire at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

 

At a meeting on Thursday, the United States, the European Union and Senegal posed questions about the decision's adverse effect on global markets. They said it would cause market volatility and undermine collective efforts in fighting the world food crisis.

 

Last week, New Delhi imposed a 20% duty on export of all varieties of rice, except basmati and parboiled rice, along with a complete ban on broken rice exports.

 

India has already imposed restrictions on wheat and wheat flour exports. 'The US said that India's export policy, with all the constant changes, poses uncertainties and the rice export ban will have consequences on the global market,' a Geneva-based official said.

 

Senegal, a major importer of India's broken rice and other rice products, urged India to keep trade open in this difficult time to ensure food sufficiency, the official added.

 

On its part, India clarified that the export restriction is only on broken rice yield used in poultry feed following a rise in their exports in recent months which has put pressure on its domestic market.

 

On the wheat export measures, New Delhi said they were necessitated by food security needs, and that it would consider the requests of other governments for exemptions. 'The measures are temporary in nature and under continuous monitoring,' the official said.

 

India said that the members' position on India's food export was self-contradictory as they criticise it for exporting too much and then again for stopping exports.

 

At the meeting, the US, Australia, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Thailand, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Japan requested for consultations with India regarding the usage of the peace clause to protect its food programmes against action from trade disputes.

 

India has, for a third time, invoked the peace clause for exceeding the 10% ceiling on support it offers rice farmers.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research with its National Agricultural Higher Education Project and Crop Science Division is organizing Hackathon 3.0 ‘’KRITAGYA' on promoting ‘speed breeding for crop improvement’.

 

Taking forward the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi through National Education Policy-2020, this program will provide an opportunity to students/faculties/entrepreneurs/innovators and others to showcase innovative approaches and technology solutions to promote innovation for crop improvement.

 

Under the guidance of the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, such initiatives will give impetus to the desired rapid results in the crop sector with the ability to learn, innovation and solutions, employability and entrepreneurship. It will also encourage greater adoption of technology enabled solutions in the country.

 

According to Dr. Rakesh Chandra Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education) and National Director, National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), the definition of KRITAGYA is: KRI for Krishi meaning Agriculture, TA for Taknik meaning Technology and GYA for Gyan meaning Knowledge. In this competition, students, faculty and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university/technical institute across the country can apply and participate in the program as a group. The participating group shall consist of maximum 4 participants, with not more than one faculty and / or more than one innovator or entrepreneur. Participating students can collaborate with local start-ups, students from technology institutes and can win up-to INR 5 Lakhs. The registration for event shall take place till 26thSeptember 2022.

 

During 2020-21 and 2021-22 NAHEP in association with Agricultural Engineering and Animal Science Divisions of ICAR organized Hackathon 1.0 and 2.0 to promote the innovation in Farm Mechanization and in Animal Science, respectively. The events witnessed immense participation across the country where more than 784 teams i.e., 3,000 participants actively participated in hackathon 1.0 and more than 269 teams participated in hackathon 2.0. At national level, 4 teams were awarded by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Tomar with a cash prize of Rs. 9 lakhs. This event is also extending the support to winners for further development in their concept propositions, its scalability and future plan in collaboration with Agri Business Incubators, MSMEs and other investors through support of ICAR.

 

ICAR commenced NAHEP with the assistance of World Bank (WB) in November 2017. The overall objective of NAHEP is to support participating Agricultural Universities (AUs) and ICAR in providing more relevant and higher quality education to the students.

 

For more details regarding registration and participation, please visit:https://nahep.icar.gov.in/Kritagya.aspx

Ahmedabad, September 15 India means business when it comes to addressing the climate change but it is the developed world which needs to move further from paying a lip service to the cause and show action on ground, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles indicated showcasing India’s approach commitment towards addressing climate change. Goyal, while addressing the International Dairy Federation (IDF)-World Dairy Summit (WDS) here on Thursday said while traditionally Indians possess reverence for nature reflected in the way animal husbandry, fisheries and farming are practised here. India supports 17 per cent of the world population yet contributed barely three per cent to green house gas emissions. 'At the same time we do very strongly believe that the developed world has totally failed in making its commitments to support the developing countries and the emerging markets through their contributions of technology, low cost long tenure govt support for climate finance,' he told the gathering that included dairy leaders, policy makers from around the world. Goyal also urged the IDF to consider an effort where those responsible in contributing to the climate problems over the years, 'actually put on the table relevant technology and finance to mitigate the problem in the less developed countries, that includes many countries in Asia and Africa, who had shown that commitment but don’t have the necessary technology and resources.' Speaking on behalf of the farmers in India and also for all the less developed countries and developing countries, Goyal asked the world to do a relevant assessment of Indian dairy compared to the mechanised farming and dairying across the world. 'I am very confident that India will come out with a strong message on sustainability,' Goyal said admitting that instead of reading out from prepared notes, 'But I thought of using this opportunity to speak from my heart.' The minister also urged the IDF to send a team of experts to India for research on India’s practices on climate action and come up with solutions that will help 'us align ourselves with the global standards and global emission norms. I can assure you that India wants to be a part of the solution and not the problem.' Notably, India’s co-operative dairy model is primarily based on the small farmers with cattle holding of average about 2-3 cattle per farmer. The IDF- WDS 2022 was held in India after a gap of 48 years with over 1,500 participants from about 50 countries taking part in the four-day event.

 

Key hurdles

Listing out the three main challenges of animal welfare, food safety and environment before the dairy sector, IDF President Piercristiano Brazalle said that the summit met the expectations as it discussed the pertinent issues of the current times including the future challenges on sustainability. Caroline Emond, Director General, International Dairy Federation, promised to work with India’s dairy sector along-with rest of the world to ensure sustainability and adherence to climate change.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Samarkand late on Thursday evening, just ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Head of States meeting, where he will come face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time since the April 2020 LAC stand-off, as well as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.  

 

Mr. Modi was the last of the leaders of eight SCO members and seven invitees to arrive here, and missed both the Pre-Summit dinner hosted by Uzbekistan President Shovkat Mirziyoyev and tree-planting ceremony that all the leaders other than President Xi undertook, leading to speculation that Mr. Modi’s late arrival was meant to avoid any inconvenient 'photo-ops' while relations with China and Pakistan remain tense.

 

Mr. Modi’s absence was felt particularly as other leaders held a number of bilateral meetings on Thursday, including a highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the war in Ukraine began. Mr. Xi held eight bilateral meetings in all and Mr. Putin met with six other leaders, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Meanwhile, Mr. Sharif, who is at the SCO seeking support over the flood situation in Pakistan, held seven bilateral meetings. 

 

On Friday, Mr. Modi will hold three bilateral meetings, with Mr. Putin, Mr. Mirziyoyev and Mr. Raisi, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.

 

The strong showing by Mr. Putin, who is accompanied by a large delegation in Uzbekistan, is expected to display confidence, and dispel Western narratives on challenges he faces in the Ukraine war. In addition, SCO countries attending are expected to express disapproval for 'economic restrictions' or unilateral sanctions and plans for an 'oil price cap' imposed by the U.S. and EU. 

 

At a briefing on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that 'India is not a member of the G7' when asked if India would join the oil price cap mechanism plan announced by G7 countries on September 2nd. 'On the price cap coalition well, what form it takes, what shape it evolves into is something the countries that have floated that idea perhaps can better answer to that,' Mr. Kwatra said. 

 

On Friday, SCO members, which include four Central Asian countries, China, Russia, India and Pakistan, are expected to agree to include Iran into the Eurasian grouping, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who is an invitee here, will formally join as a member at the next SCO summit due to be held in India in 2023. During his address, Mr. Modi is expected to focus on connectivity via Iran’s Chabahar port, as well as on the need for security and territorial integrity in the region, and on cross-border terrorism. 

 

'At the SCO Summit, I look forward to exchanging views on topical, regional and international issues, the expansion of SCO and on further deepening of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organization. Under the Uzbek Chairship, a number of decisions for mutual cooperation are likely to be adopted in areas of trade, economy, culture and tourism,' Mr. Modi stated before leaving Delhi.

 

The induction of Iran is one of a number of agreements expected to be announced along with the 'Samarkand Declaration' signed by the eight members of the group. The grouping will also grant 'dialogue partner' status to Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, an indicator that the Central and South Asian grouping is attempting to include West Asia in its discussions as well. The expansion of the grouping and its dialogue partners marks a 'breakthrough' for the SCO, said national coordinator of the SCO from Uzbekistan, Rakhmatulla Nurimbetov, who will next hand over to Indian officials, as India takes over the SCO Chair for the next year.  

 

In addition, an agreement 'on good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation', and a separate joint statement on the 'Response to climate change' made especially in the context of the flood situation in Pakistan, are also expected to be released among 30 documents in total.

Food quality and safety are the primary concerns of Indian consumers today. The growing environmental and food safety concerns have created a significant demand for yield from green and sustainable cultivation methods. Modern farming methods often lead to biodiversity loss and monoculture, which are huge factors in the environment’s decline. Pesticides and chemical usage are rampant in Indian agriculture, causing water and soil contamination.

 

Considering this, companies are prioritising organic farming, which is one of the most effective ways to not only provide food security and improve farmers’ livelihoods but also eliminate the use of harmful chemicals. An organic agricultural system promotes and enhances the health of the agro ecosystem, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activities. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, encourages soil & water conservation, and improves crop yields.

 

Due to this, the industry has been steadily shifting from traditional farming to organic and sustainable farming methods. Organic farming immensely contributes to the overall economy, ecology, and social welfare improvement.

 

Improving the economic condition of the farmers

 

Farmers bear the brunt of economic exploitation by middlemen and large corporations. The government’s minimum support price (MSP) system is often not appropriately implemented, and farmers cannot get fair prices for their produce. As a result, they are forced to take loans from moneylenders at high-interest rates. This vicious cycle of debt leads to farmers’ suicide, poverty, and protests.

 

Organic farming allows farmers to get better prices for their produce as there is a growing demand for organic products. Organic farming in India is not just restricted to a few certified organic farmers. Many Indian farmers are practising organic methods and, with government efforts, they can now get certification for their organic products. For example, the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) promotes cluster-based organic farming with PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) certification. The scheme assists INR 50,000 per hectare for three years, of which 62% is given as an incentive towards organic inputs.

 

Positive environmental impact

 

Organic farming is a set of agricultural production practices that maintain and enhance the health of ecosystems and soil biodiversity. It is done by using diverse species, incorporating crop rotations, and using natural pest management techniques. The use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers is prohibited in organic farming. Organic agriculture helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and has a positive impact on climate change.

 

It is estimated that on a global scale, organic farming can benefit biodiversity by ~34% and abundance by ~50%. Organic farming has a protective role to play in environmental conservation. Instead of synthetic inputs, it relies on ecological processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions. This system often integrates three main objectives: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.

 

Consumers benefit from a health and quality perspective

 

The global pandemic has made people more conscious about their health and what they are eating. People want to know where their food is coming from and how it is being grown. Falling immunities, hazardous diseases like cancer, food allergies, hormonal imbalances, PCOS, and much more can be attributed to chemical and pesticide residues in modern production, which can be tackled with organic food.

 

Organic food is often considered healthier because it is free from harmful chemicals and pesticides. The rise in healthy eating habits like consuming more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based proteins has increased the demand and sale of organic products.

 

Focus on GDP growth

 

The growth of the organic food market is driven by health awareness among consumers, changes in lifestyle, and a rise in income levels. Organic agriculture has the potential to contribute significantly to the Indian economy.

 

The sector positively impacts GDP growth, employment generation, and export earnings. It also promotes sustainable development. The agricultural industry contributes around 14% of GDP and employs 42% of the workforce. The country has the potential to become a global leader in organic agriculture and can contribute significantly to GDP growth.

 

The way forward 

 

The economic benefits of organic farming are not just restricted to farmers. The entire value chain benefits from increased demand and production from input providers to retailers. Thus, the future for organic farming in India is to increase the area under cultivation, promote farmer-to-consumer linkages, and create an enabling policy environment.

 

While the government has taken some initiatives to promote organic farming in the country, the private sector has also promoted organic farming in India. Some companies have set up their organic farms, while others have provided financial assistance to farmers for conversion to organic methods. With the right policies in place, India has the potential to become a global leader in organic agriculture.

Milk procurement by milk producer companies, which are owned by farmers, is estimated to jump nearly 3-fold and touch Rs 18,000 crore in value terms in the next five years, according to NDDB.

 

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Meenesh Shah said the milk producer companies procured milk worth Rs 5,575 crore last fiscal year and the same is set to triple and reach over Rs 18,000 crore in the next five years.

 

He also assured that NDDB through its arm NDDB Dairy Services will facilitate setting up of more milk producer companies across the country, the board said in a statement.

 

Shah was addressing the IDF World Dairy Summit 2022 being held at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh during September 12-15.

 

'The startup concept may have come recently but the milk producer companies are the real startups working since long,' he said.

 

Shah said, about 750,000 farmers, including over 70 per cent women, have created about 20 producer-owned entities.

 

'Ever since the inception of the first farmers' organization, the number as of now has swelled to 20. Altogether the farmer members have been paid about a staggering Rs 27,500 crore till last fiscal (2021-2022) in lieu of the milk supplied by them to their respective organization,' Shah said.

 

He also launched value-added dairy products by some of these milk producer companies.

 

As many as 18 of these 20 farmers-owned organisations have become operational and procured over 40 lakh liters of milk per day at the end of last fiscal. The milk procurement by milk producer companies is expected to reach 100 lakh litres per day in the next five years.

 

These farmer organisations, plough back up to 85 per cent of sales proceeds to members, including over 5 lakh female members.

 

The ownership of 12 of these 18 operational entities are fully with women members.

 

Shreeja Milk Producer Company has the distinction of being the first and world's largest all-women farmer organization at the foothills of holy Balaji temple in Tirupati, the statement said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has boosted its support to ease worsening food shortages in Asia and the Pacific by expanding assistance through its Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP) to clear bottlenecks in the import of food and agriculture products.

 

Over the past 18 months, TSCFP has supported more than 1,900 food and agriculture-related imports valued at $2.3 billion to 10 countries in developing Asia, with most assistance going to Bangladesh, Viet Nam, and Pakistan. To enhance its support, TSCFP has boosted risk limits on trade finance guarantees for food imports by $300 million. When combined with partner commercial bank cofinancing of transactions under the expanded limits, the support can translate into around $500 million of extra finance for food imports in the region.

 

The additional support will facilitate trade in food and goods such as fertilizers to promote food production, with the new limits allowing ADB to assume extra exposure in transactions with its partner banks to finance the import of these items. The new limits will be reviewed after a year.

 

'There is a growing food crisis that means more families are going hungry every day in developing countries in Asia,' said TSCFP Head Steven Beck. 'Already, a significant share of our trade finance portfolio supports food security. But it’s clear we need to do even more, as high inflation in food prices has eaten into existing global trade finance limits for food imports. The new higher limits enable us and our partner banks to expand trade financing and improve food security in Asia’s developing economies.'

 

Food systems are under mounting strain from increased frequency and severity of weather extremes, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and increasing conflict and insecurity. These factors have triggered rising global food prices as reflected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Food Price Index that climbed 54% during May 2020­­–June 2022.

 

The expansion of trade finance for food security builds on ADB’s long-term financing for food and agriculture through governments, agribusinesses, and financial intermediaries. In 2021, TSCFP supported 1,411 transactions valued at $1.6 billion in food and agricultural commodities, and 83 transactions valued at $247 million to support fertilizers and food production machinery.

 

Backed by ADB’s AAA credit rating, TSCFP provides loans and guarantees to more than 200 partner banks to support trade, creating import and export opportunities for enterprises across Asia and the Pacific.

 

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.