Facilitating investment in organic food business in India through right policies

Abstract

The Indian government has taken several policy initiatives to promote organic farming and organic food exports. Since organic trade is dependent on the recognition of standards and processes by the importing countries, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Department of Commerce, took the initiative to develop an organic regulation for exports, known as the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), largely based on the European Union (EU) organic policy/regulation, but customising it to meet the Indian requirements. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare came up with a Participatory Guarantee Scheme for India (PGS-India) which aims at encouraging the small and mid-sized farmers to take up organic farming and promote it in the domestic market on a large scale. In January 2016, the Prime Minister of India declared the state of Sikkim as India’s first fully organic state. In March 2017, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for removal of quantitative ceilings on exports of organic products (except pulses and lentils) thereby allowing unrestricted exports of organic agricultural and organic processed products irrespective of any existing or future restriction/prohibition on the export of the conventional (non-organic) products. A number of state governments have taken initiatives to develop organic farming and have come up with organic policies and state government subsidies. States such as Karnataka, Sikkim and Gujarat have set up state certification bodies to reduce the cost of organic certification. Read more at: https://www.forbesindia.com/article/iim-bangalore/facilitating-investment-in-organic-food-business-in-india-through-right-policies/47797/1