Promotion of Organic Farming

General Studies Paper-3

Context: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Amul, and Rich Plus have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote organic farming in India.

More About the News

• Launch of Organic Farming Card: A co-branded Organic Farming Card has been introduced for account holders of IOB who are engaged in organic farming.
• This card will enable farmers to access discounted organic agricultural inputs through Amul’s certified retail outlets.
• IOB has announced a dedicated credit scheme named “Harit Kranti”, specifically designed to address the financial needs of organic farmers.
• Richplus will play a key role in offering technical expertise and training to farmers on organic farming practices.

What is Organic farming?

• Organic farming is a sustainable agriculture system that excludes synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• It relies on natural resources like crop residues, farmyard manure, and compost to maintain soil health and manage pests and diseases.

Organic farming in India

• India ranks at 4th place in terms of certified area globally as per the report published by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Statistics 2022.
• Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under organic certification followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka.
• Sikkim is India’s first fully organic state, with implementing organic practices on around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land.
• India ranks first globally in terms of number of farmers practicing organic farming.
• The exports of India’s organic products stood at $708 million in 2022-23 and considering the global market size of around $138 billion, there is a tremendous scope to increase the organic exports in the near future.

Advantages of Organic farming

• Healthier Food Products: Organic farming results in food products that are free from harmful chemical residues with higher levels of essential nutrients.
• Enhanced Soil Health: Organic farming methods focus on building and maintaining soil health by increasing organic matter content, microbial activity, and nutrient cycling.
• Economic Opportunities: Organic farming provides economic benefits to farmers through premium prices for organic products, access to niche markets, and reduced input costs over the long term.
• Climate Change Mitigation: Organic farming practices such as composting and organic soil management contribute to carbon sequestration in the soil, helping to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Biodiversity Conservation: Organic farming practices support biodiversity by creating habitats for beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Organic certifications systems in India

• National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP): It is under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for development of the export market.
  • It is a third party certification programme where the production and handling of activities at all stages such as production, processing, trading and export requirements for organic products is covered.
• Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India): PGS-India under Ministry of Agriculture and farmers Welfare involves stakeholders (including farmers/ producers) in decision making about the operation of the PGS-India certification by assessing, inspecting and verifying the production practices of each other.
  • Food Safety Regulation has made it mandatory for organic products to be certified under NPOP or PGS for being sold in the domestic market under the Jaivik Bharat logo.

Government Initiatives for Organic Farming

• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): The schemes stress on end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing and post-harvest management.
  • Training and Capacity Building are integral parts of the scheme.
• Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): The scheme is being implemented exclusively in the NE States to support farmers engaged in organic farming.
  • Jaivik Kheti portal is a one stop solution for facilitating organic farmers to sell their organic produce and promoting organic farming and its benefits. This portal caters various stakeholders like local groups, individual farmers, buyers and input suppliers.

Way Ahead

• Enhance Market Access: Expand procurement, branding, and retailing of organic produce through platforms like Amul and Jaivik Kheti.
• Promote Awareness and Training: Ensure that farmers receive technical guidance and training to meet certification norms and market expectations.
• Expand Certification Infrastructure: Simplify certification processes and increase availability of local certification bodies.