Today, India as well as the rest of the world is facing a new challenge. Post 1965, India's agriculture production started rising and by early 1990s India had become food secure especially in wheat and rice. The Green revolution was credited with these developments. But suddenly through the 1990s and in the 21 century, food production has not only stagnated but even started to drop in various regions across India!(Source-Eighth Five-year plan documents/other reports). For this negative growth too, the green revolution has to be credited with!!
The rampant and non-judicious use of pesticides and chemicals has played havoc with the agriculture system,leaving large tracts of land with degraded soils, lowered water table and diminishing productivity. The result - many lands are uncultivable and farmers are getting food insecure, poorer and are pushed to the edge.
Organic agriculture brings soil back to healthy productive status and the production levels are equal or even higher than chemical farming within 2-3 years of organic practices. The farmers become food secure and this benefit get across to the entire nation (and then to the entire world).
India Organic 2008 is the fourth edition of India's biggest event on Organic Agribusiness. India Organic Trade Fairs are being organized as an annual event since 2005. The first fair in Bangalore generated business worth Rs.42 crores and the latest edition in 2007 at New Delhi helped business cross Rs.125 crores in Organic Trade.
LAND UNDER ORGANIC
Worldwide 30.4 million hectares of land is under organic production. India has shown rapid progress in organic sector since 2003. From just 73000 hectares of organically cultivated land (certified) in 2003, the figure has touched 5,28,171 hectare under organic management by 2007 (3,11,787 hectares fully certfied and another 2, 17,143 hectares under conversion).
ORGANIC TRADE
In 2007 the global trade of organic touched USD38.6bn. India's Organic exports is around Rs.300crores (USD 62.5million), which is only 0.2% of the organic trade. India should target to reach atleast USD 1 bn by 2012, thereby capturing 2.5% of global market share. P a r a l l e l y t h e domestic markets for the organic p r o d u c t s a r e growing in India. T h e f i r s t n a t i o n w i d e market study in India conducted by ICCOA revealed a potential of over Rs.1452crores existing in the eight major cities alone.
