The 4th National Conference on Organic Farming was organized by ASSOCHAM in New Delhi on October 7, 2014. The conference brought together exporters, certification agencies, and experts in the organic farming sector. Key topics discussed included challenges facing the organic industry, policy interventions to increase organic exports, and linking organic producers to markets. Government officials discussed the need to improve certification systems and ensure a policy environment that enables organic exports. Speakers emphasized expanding organic crop and livestock production to increase India's small share of the global organic food market. Challenges mentioned included a lack of organic seeds and value addition, as well as insufficient market linkage and farmer awareness.

1. Report on 4th
national conference on organic farming organized by ASSOCHAM
in New Delhi on 07-10-14
Submitted by-
Mandeep K Pujara
Project Director ATMA Amritsar
To give a boost to organic world and to bring all stakeholder, including exporters, certification agencies, experts in
organic farming sector on one platform ASSOCHAM has organized “4th NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ORGANIC
FARMING: Products, Certification, Market, & Exports” on 7th October, 2014 at New Delhi.
Conference was attended by Dr.Mandeep K Pujara Project Director ATMA Amritsar and Kulwinder Singh organic farmer
from Block Bhawanigarh ,Distt Sangrur Punjab
The conference has provided an extraordinary momentum and inspiration for all stakeholders from India and around the
world. This conference has also provided organic stakeholders, Govt official and policy makers with a platform for open
discussion on Global Organic Market.
Key Discussion Points were:-
 Key challenges faced by the Organic Industries.
 Policy/Strategic interventions for increasing exports of organic products
 Creation of inter linkages for delivery of organic products to markets
 Emerging Business Models & Strategies
 To discuss about the Business Services in organic sector
 Effective Retailing of Organic Products
 Future Agenda for Organic Development
Conference was opened by Somnath Poudyal, Sikkim’s agriculture minister Addressing the conference, he said, “The
limited availability of organic inputs, like bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides,organic seeds, planting materials and others, is a
key challenge being faced by the organic farming community in India.We must assure our farming community that their
produce would be fully marketed at a fair and legitimate price, and a premium price must be offered to farmers for organic
products that differentiate their products from chemical-based ones.

2. Minister also stressed upon the need to focus on scientific back-up and research in the organic production system. He
added that contract farming was another area, which was appropriate to encourage farmers to produce quality organic
harvests.
Mr.A K Tripathy, joint secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries and ex-chairman of the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA), said India lacks a credible certification system for
organic foods and commerce and industries ministry had a view to provide a policy environment that would be enabling.
He stated that the ministry was trying to ensure that no ban was imposed on exports of organic foods, even if the primary
produce of that commodity were subject to restrictions. He added that organic foods constituted a miniscule part of the
country’s total export of agricultural produce.
“Unless the dichotomy between domestic sales and exports is removed, the credibility of India’s organic food exporters
would continue to be in question. If domestic standards are made compulsory, the supply would become larger, and in
turn, the supply available for exports would also become larger.
Mr.Santosh Sarangi, chairman and secretary, APEDA, said, “One of the major challenges for India is to maintain the
integrity of organic certification system.”
“All the stakeholders in the organic process, including farmers, processors, traders and certification bodies, should be
fully involved and committed to maintain the integrity of the certification system”.
India currently holds a meagre 0.35 per cent share in the global organic food market (which is worth $64 billion), had a
huge potential to penetrate it.
APEDA was working towards increasing the portfolio of organic products available from export from India in order to
have a higher share of organic products for export. He said “We are expanding the crop production system to include
aquaculture and livestock,” .
Emphasising on organic food, Krishan Gupta, MD & CEO, Organic India Pvt. Ltd., said, “It is the fundamental right of
every human being and living animal to get safe and clean food which can only be achieved by the organic food. It is less
hazardous to life and also provides better nutritional value.”
The issues ranging from opportunities and challenges were raised in the conference. According to Phetook Tshering
Bhutia, secretary at Department of Agriculture, Government of Sikkim, lack of availability of organic seeds, lack value
addition, market linkage, lack of awareness among the farmers are the major roadblocks in front of organic
Mr. Sanjeev Chopra IAS ministry of agriculture who chaired the Plenary Session – I ,challenges & opportunities in
organic farming. Shri Rajendra Tiwari, IAS, Managing Director, National Horticulture Board chaired the Plenary Session
– II, Way forward in organic farming in India. Others who spoke during the ASSOCHAM conference included Surinder
Makhija, strategic advisor, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, and D S Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM.