Context:
The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry launched the 8th edition of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) at an event in New Delhi.
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At the event, officials also introduced details of the newly unveiled portals:
- NPOP portal: A dedicated portal for the National Programme for Organic Production to provide organic stakeholders with more visibility and ease of operations.
- Organic promotion portal: Allows farmers, FPOs (Farmer Producer organisations), and exporters to showcase certified organic products, generate trade leads, and connect with global buyers. It also provides online training and capacity-building resources.
- TraceNet 2.0: An upgraded online traceability system for seamless operations and enhanced tools for regulatory oversight.
- APEDA portal: It provides enhanced user experience and information for the benefit of Agri and Processed food products’ stakeholders.
- The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the apex body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry responsible for promoting agricultural and processed food product export.
- AgriXchange portal: It launched for more user-friendly data analysis and generation of reports & data on Agricultural exports making it accessible to the general public.
The 8th edition of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) introduced amendments to simplify operations and improve transparency for stakeholders. Key changes included:
- Certification for organic grower groups: Certification requirements have been simplified, and these groups are now given legal status instead of using the Internal Control System (ICS).
- Land conversion period: The time required to convert land to organic farming can now be reduced by up to three years, under certain conditions.
- Support for farmers: Organic grower groups must buy all the organic produce or create market connections to help farmers sell their products.
- Increased transparency: Information about organic farmers and related details will be made public, improving the credibility of the system.
- Stronger oversight: The use of IT tools and the web-based traceability system, Tracenet, will help improve monitoring, surveillance, and data analysis.
Organic farming and Certification Program in India
Organic farming:
- It is an agricultural method focused on avoiding synthetic inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, and hormones, focusing on eco-friendly, and sustainability.
- It emphasizes using natural resources like organic wastes (crop, animal, aquatic) and biological materials (biofertilizers, biocontrol agents) to nourish crops and protect them from pests and diseases.
- Its goal is to maintain a healthy environment while ensuring increased agricultural output.
Organic certification is a process certification involving a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping.
India has two primary certification systems:
- National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for export: Involves certification of farms or processing units per national or international organic standards by accredited certification agencies.
- Facilitated by APEDA, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India.
- Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) for domestic and local markets: Producers in similar situations assess, inspect, and verify each other’s organic practices, collectively certifying their group’s organic status.
- Facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India, through the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF).
Key Initiatives Taken for Organic Farming:
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Launched in 2015 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (the National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture). It aims to promote traditional organic farming through farmer clusters by providing financial support, training, and certification.
- FSSAI Organic Foods Regulation: In 2024, FSSAI and APEDA introduced the “Unified India Organic” logo, replacing the previous India Organic and Jaivik Bharat logos. This move aims to standardize and simplify the implementation of India’s organic regulations under NPOP.
- Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP): It has been introduced as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2020-21 for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Natural Farming (NF).
- National Centre for Organic Farming (NCOF), established in 2004: Serves as the nodal organization under the Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) Division of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. It functions as part of the Soil Health Management component of the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and is responsible for promoting organic farming in India.