Is the organic food you are eating, actually organic?

From farm to table, here’s what goes into bringing organic produce to your plate

The organic food movement began (in earnest) a decade ago in India, and since then has grown by leaps and bounds. “Organic farming is not something new or a fad; it’s the way we farmed before chemicals came in through the West and spread everywhere because of the Green Revolution,” says Mumbai-based nutritionist Kavita Mukhi who has been one of the pioneering voices behind the movement.

According to a report by Expert Market Research, the country’s organic food market stood at $849.5 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.5 per cent during 2021-2026 to reach a value of $2.6 billion. This demand has been largely fuelled by increased health consciousness among consumers coupled with e-commerce platforms making it easier to access organic produce, i.e. foods grown without using chemical fertilisers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic also accelerated this demand since consumers perceived organic food to be better for improving immunity. Rising disposable income has been another contributing factor—a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in September 2021 found that 33 per cent of respondents were willing to spend up to 25 per cent more on buying organic food as compared to conventionally-grown food products.

The demand for organic food is further catalysed by the Indian government promoting organic farming by providing financial support to farmers who adopt organic farming under various government schemes such as Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), etc. Despite the optimistic numbers, the organic food market is still niche when compared to India’s overall food market, which is estimated at $858.10 billion in 2022.

We take a closer look at how organic food is grown, certified and sold in India—and most importantly, how can you ensure that you are eating organic.

At ground level

In India, the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) and its regulatory body Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) have laid down the standards for organic certification. These cover everything from crop production to food processing. Specifically for crop production, these standards include:

1. Conversion of land for organic farming (the conversion period varies from two years for annual and biennial crops to three years for perennial plants)

2. All inputs to the farm should be natural

3. No genetically modified inputs or irradiation technology should be used

4. Integrity of all processes—physical, biological and mechanical—must be maintained

5. No contamination from nearby farms or other means

6. Sustainable practices must be followed in the farm

“Consumers need to understand that if they continue buying non-organic produce fewer farmers will opt for organic farming; at the end of the day they need a market and they are taking a hit when they stop (crop production) during the conversion period,” says Mukhi.

Stamp of approval

The NPOP lists more than 30 agencies as accredited certification bodies. These include Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Limited, Ecocert India Pvt. Ltd., Indian Organic Certification Agency (INDOCERT), Global Certification Society and more, as well as several state-level certification agencies. The certification process is fairly straightforward—the farmer submits an application form to a certification body, which then provides the standards and operation documents. Once the application is approved, a field inspection will determine compliance with standards after which the farmer receives certification. The cost of certification varies from ₹25,000 to ₹60,000, depending on the type of product, the size of the farm and the choice of the accreditation body. The organic certification is valid for three years after which it has to be renewed.

All products that are organic certified can display the “India Organic” logo so that customers can easily identify certified products. The certification process under NPOP has been granted equivalence with the European Union and it has also been recognised for conformity assessment by USDA’s National Organic Program.

Last mile delivery

In the initial days of the organic food movement, a farmers’ market was the only avenue for accessing organic foods. Started in 2010, The Farmers’ Market in Mumbai curated by Mukhi was India’s first urban market where you could buy organic produce directly from farmers. “I met a collective of certified farmers from Nashik, one of the oldest certified groups in India. Initially, I tried to get retail shops in the city to keep their produce but nobody was willing, so eventually we joined hands to launch The Farmers’ Market,” says Mukhi. A dozen years later, the market is still going strong and is held every Sunday at YMCA in Bandra. Similar markets have sprung up in other cities, whether it’s the Delhi Organic Farmers Market or Gurgaon Organic Farmers’ Market, or Samartha’s Farmers Market in Pune.

While there’s a certain charm in heading to a weekly market (armed with a cotton tote bag, of course) to pick up fresh fruits and veggies, it may not always be feasible for time-starved city dwellers. As with most aspects of our lives, digital has disrupted this space as well. The big guns such as Amazon Fresh, BigBasket, Nature’s Basket, Swiggy’s Instamart, etc. all offer certified organic produce and packaged products. Despite the competition, smaller players have made a mark and gained a loyal customer base, whether it’s Zama Organics, Conscious Food, Two Brothers Organic Farms, Farm2Kitchen etc. Launched in 2017, Zama Organics. works with farmers’ collectives across India and is a one-stop shop for everything from grains and spices to seasonal vegetables and fruits. The company’s founder Shriya Naheta Wadhwa says “We are using technology to improve the customer experience and give them access to quality authentic produce. While we initially started taking order via WhatsApp, we have greatly benefitted from having our own e-commerce store.”

So, how can you ensure what’s on your plate is truly organic? “While the right paperwork is a good start, we must have trust in where we’re purchasing the products from. Organic produce is grown without chemical fertilisers and pesticides—this means that the produce differs in availability, quality, size and so on from season to season and harvest to harvest,” says Naheta Wadhwa.

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