Organic Spices » Organic Spice Product Basket Organic Spices - Indian Capability India - the land of spices India grows over 50 different varieties of spices. Total production is around 2.7 million tonnes. Of this, about 0.25 million tonnes (8-10 per cent) is exported to more than 150 countries. The Indian share of the world trade in spices is 45-50 per cent by volume (25 per cent in value terms). Organic cultivation In recent years, organic agriculture has been gaining considerable importance. Many farmers today show interest in organic cultivation. Several of them have begun switching to this traditional method of cultivation as a means to produce safe foodstuffs and preserve the environment. The concept of sustainable farming has caught on in India. World Demand for organic foods The world demand for organically produced foods is growing rapidly in developed countries like Europe, USA, Japan and Australia. The current estimated share of organic foods in these countries is approximately 1 to 1.5 per cent. Worldwide, food trends are changing with a marked health orientation. Since organic foods are free from chemical contaminants, the demand for these products should steadily increase in the new millennium. According to the ITC, UNCTAD/GAT, more than 130 countries produce certified organic foods. 100 of them are from Asia and Africa. Internationally, there's a definite shift towards traditional / ethnic medicines. Since spices form part of many of these medicines, the demand for organically produced spices should grow. Organic cultivation is nothing new to India. The country has always been practising the traditional ways of using indigenous technologies and inputs mostly in line with modern organic farming principles. The per capita consumption of fertilizers and pesticides in India is far below that of developed countries. Which means, it is very easy for Indian farmers to embrase organic spice farming in its true sense. Spice Board of India has taken a major initiative in promoting the production and export of organic spices in a big way. The Indian Initiative Export of organic spices from India has started in right earnest. The country at present exports around 50 tonnes of different varieties of organic spices. Exports will get a significant boost in the coming years as more farmers switch to organic methods. Spices Board India has prepared a document on production of organic spices. It features the organic concepts, principles, basic standards, production guidelines, documentation, inspection and certification. The document has been published after approval by the National Standards Committee constituted by the members of IFOAM in India. Research programmes on organic cultivation of important spices have commenced. The work is carried out at the Spices Board's Indian Cardamon Research Institute at ldukki District in Kerala. Besides organising demonstrations to educate and motivate prospective organic spice growers, the Board is simultaneously involved in training programmes to existing spice growers on organic principles and practices. Developing organic spices The Board encourages non-governmental organisations and farmers' groups to promote and adopt organic farming techniques. Infrastructure development for production of organic inputs is on stream in prominent growing areas. Development of vermi-compost units and supply of post-harvest aids for upgrading quality of the produce at farm level are also in progress. Certification of organic spices Certification for organic spice farms is an essential pre-requisite for marketing their produce, especially in the international markets. National programme for organic production is implemented by the Government of India through the Ministry of Commerce as the apex body. As per the national accreditation policy, all the certifying agencies operating in India are to obtain accreditation from anyone of the accrediting agency appointed by the Government of India, viz., Spices Board, Coffee Board, Tea Board or APEDA International certifying agencies conducting inspection and certification in India at present are Institute For Marketecology (IMO) Switzerland, SKAL Netherlands and Ecocert International, Germany. The Government of India is in the process of setting up indigenous certification programmes since there is no domestic certifying agency in India. For timely inspection at optimum cost, the Board has access to the services of trained inspectors from both governmental and non-governmental organisations. These inspectors were trained in 1998 by the members of IFOAM in India. They will commence work once the domestic certification body is set up and approved by competent authorities. The Spices Board India is in contact with the IFOAM Head Quarters in Germany. Helps in sourcing organic spices The Board provides assistance to overseas buyers in sourcing organic spices from India. The country has the capability to produce and supply a variety of organic spices. If firm orders are placed well in advance, farmers can go ahead with confidence, cultivate squeaky clean spices organically, and deliver them on time.