Date:05/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/05/stories/2005110501841000.htm

Back Indian organic products certifying bodies to get EC `equivalence' status

Our Bureau

Bangalore , Nov. 4

THE European Commission (EC), one of the major consumers of organic food products, may soon exempt Indian organic products from certification by its agencies as it feels the standards followed by Indian certification agencies are comparable to its own.

Currently, organic products certified by accredited Indian agencies and exported to the EC are subjected to local certification.

The Chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), Mr K.S. Money, said the EC was expected to accord the "equivalence" status to the Indian certifying agencies over the next few months.

A team from EC had already inspected various certification facilities in the country and found that the system and standards followed by the Indian agencies "equal to theirs," Mr Money told reporters on the sidelines of India Organic 2005.

India currently has 11 accredited agencies that certify organic farm produce for exports.

Hoping that the equivalence status would be accorded within a month or two, Mr Money said once it was conferred, growers and exporters of organic food products need not seek the certification from accredited agencies in Europe. This would bring down the cost of organic products export, as it would result in savings of anything between 500 to 1,000 euros a hectare for certifying organic products.

Apeda was also seeking equivalence status from the US and Japanese markets, Mr Money said. The global market for organic products is estimated to be a little over $30 billion. The European market is estimated at $12 billion and growing at the rate of 15-20 per cent annually.

Earlier, inaugurating the four-day Indian Organic 2005 fair, Mr M.V. Rajashekharan, Union Minister of State for Planning, said the Centre was committed to promote organic farming in a big way.

The State Governments were encouraged to promote organic farming , Mr Rajashekharan said adding the National Programme for Organic Production has been formed to maintain standard, accreditation and the National Organic Logo `India Organic'.

Currently, over 200 million people can afford to buy organic foods and there was a need to establish linkage between consumers and growers to facilitate and exploit market opportunities, Mr Rajashekharan said.

Even though the Green Revolution has helped the country to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, it has also brought various problems including soil degradation, environmental hazards and loss of bio-diversity, he said. In this context, organic farming has become imperative and has assumed special significance, Mr Rajashekharan added.