EU: The Second Major Destination for Indian Organic Food Products Exports to EU stood at $356 million in 2020-21, around 34% of the $1040 million worth worldwide organic food products from India.

The European Union is the second major destination for Indian organic food products. Under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), exports to the EU stood at $356 million in 2020-21, accounting for around 34% of the $1040 million worth of worldwide organic food products exported from India.

Organic food products from India are exported to the USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Korea Republic, Israel, Switzerland, Ecuador, Vietnam, Australia, etc. In terms of export value realization, processed foods, including soya meal (57%), lead among the products, followed by Oilseeds (9%), Cereals and millets (7%), Plantation crop products such as Tea and Coffee (6%), Spices and condiments (5%), Medicinal plants(5%), Dry fruits (3%), Sugar(3%), and others.

While complimenting the stakeholders on the milestone achieved by India by crossing remarkable export of more than $ 1 billion in organic products under NPOP, Dr M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, emphasized that the applicable standards need to be adhered to maintain the market acceptance by the end consumers and the national regulators. He also stated that APEDA provides possible means for market penetration of new products and brand-building through participation in organic food fairs in the EU.

APEDA is the implementing body for the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The program involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing, etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their country standards. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries. APEDA is also in the process of negotiation with South Korea, Canada, Japan, Australia etc.

In 2020-21, India produced around 3.496.800 MT of certified organic products, which includes all varieties of food products, namely Oil Seeds, Fibre, Sugarcane, Cereals & Millets, Pulses, Aromatic & Medicinal Plants, Tea, Coffee, Fruits, Spices, Dry Fruits, Vegetables, Processed foods etc. Organic production is not limited to the edible sector but also raw cotton, functional food products etc. Among different states, Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In terms of commodities, Oilseeds are the single largest category, followed by Fibre crops, Sugar crops, Cereals and Millets, Spices & Condiments, Pulses, Medicinal plant products, Fruits & Vegetables, Tea, Coffee, Dry Fruits etc.

In 2000, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched NPOP as the first such institutional mechanism for organic products in India. In 2001, the NPOP was brought under the ambit of the Foreign Trade Development and Regulation (FTDR) Act, wherein it was mandated that no organic products can be exported unless they are certified under National Programme for Organic Production.

Source: APEDA & pib gov.

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