The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry made an announcement regarding the current organic food regulatory system in India during the winter parliamentary session of 2019. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the official food regulator, overseeing both domestic market and imported organic food. In 2017, the FSSAI introduced the current certification system via the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations.
Understanding Organic Food
Organic farm produce is a term that describes products obtained from organic farming practices. These standards define organic food as any food produce that is grown using specific standards for organic farming. As per the FSSAI, the term ‘organic agriculture’ refers to a farming approach designed to create an agricultural production ecosystem that does not rely on synthetic external inputs like chemical fertilisers, pesticides, synthetic hormones or genetically modified organisms.
National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)
The NPOP offers organic farming certification through third-party certification process. This certification process encompasses the accreditation programme for certification bodies, standards for organic production, and promotion of organic farming. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry implements the NPOP. Notably, the European Commission, Switzerland, and USA have recognised NPOP’s standards for production and accreditation system as equivalent to their respective systems.
Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS)
The PGS is a different certification process for organic products. Under this system, the certification comes in the form of a documented logo or statement. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare manage the execution of PGS. The unique aspect of PGS lies in the full control organic farmers have over the certification process.
The PGS certification caters exclusively to farmers or communities that can operate and manage as a group. Unfortunately, individual farmers or groups of farmers with less than five members do not qualify for PGS. The PGS programme applies to on-farm activities such as crop production, processing, and livestock rearing. However, off-farm processing activities like storage, transport and value addition activities conducted by persons or agencies other than PGS farmers away from the group are not covered under PGS.
Essential Facts about Organic Regulation
| Regulation Body | Focus Area | Implementation Agency |
|---|---|---|
| NPOP | Organic farming certification | Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry |
| PGS | Organic farming certification | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare |
Labelling Requirements of Organic Foods
Organic foods must comply with FSSAI’s labelling requirements, in addition to the standards of either NPOP or PGS-India. This combination of regulations ensures that all organic food products meet stringent quality and health standards before reaching the consumer.
