The ‘Indian-ism’ of Organics
Every time you waltz into a supermarket hunting for organic food, spot organic- Basmati rice, pulses, honey, tea, spices, coffee, oil seeds, fruits, processed food, cereals or herbal medicines - shove it down your push cart, consume it and dump the package into the trash bin, you have missed the all important ‘Indian- ism’ of organics! In eight out of ten cases, your product has travelled hundreds of miles, passing through stringent checks and measures, from a country called India!
But if you’re the world conscious consumer, you turn over the packaging and see the ‘Made in India’ label, don’t be surprised! And if you live in the European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, South Africa or the Middle East, an Indian organic product has already made way to your stomach!
Can you stomach the truth that the organic food products you consume are largely from India? The country is increasingly becoming one among the world’s largest exporters of organic food. And there is more to this ‘Indian -‘ism’ of organics, India works doubly hard to ensure what you buy as ‘organic’ is truly organic.
India is a country blessed with suitable rain fed areas or agro-climatic regions which are conducive for organic farming. Harnessing this, the agricultural export body of government - the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA) has set up a central regulatory body known as the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) to ensure excellent quality organic export reaches you!
This Central government initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, lays down the norms governing the production of organic food. The guidelines have a sweeping scope and cover the smallest details. For example, a bottle of organic honey that makes it to your departmental shelf, travels an excruciating process. The honey manufacturing enterprise can only achieve certification, when everything from the bee box to the farmer’s land on which the box is kept, to farms within 5 km radius of bee box all meet the organic standards of the NPOP. Farmers are required to record every step of the process and also to account of every agricultural input like fertilizers, manure they employ to farm the organic products. Through this system called ‘traceability’, the very best of organic produce reaches you!
While NPOP lays down the guidelines for export, Central bodies like the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and APEDA accredit the certifying bodies that carry out inspections.
So the next time you pick up organic food, make sure you read the ‘Indianism’ in it! Enjoy a delightful organic lifestyle courtesy – India!
