ICCOA

When the cooperation of a few Indian organic enthusiasts with FiBL started shortly after the 11th IFOAM International Scientific Conference in Basel (Switzerland), we had an R&D institute in mind, a certification mechanism and we were looking for ideas on how market access of organic farmers could be promoted. ICCOA and Indocert are the lively proof. India is a vibrant place for organic agriculture. For FiBL, ICCOA remains a lighthouse in the promotion of the organic idea. What a success story!

The Government has announced a new national agriculture export policy to support export of organic products. The policy has been made jointly by the ministries of commerce, agriculture, and food processing. India produces around 600 million tonnes of agricultural as well as horticultural products, yearly. The new agriculture policy has been revealed with the vision to double the farmers’ incomes and boost the share of agricultural exports from the current Rs 2.2 trillion ( $30 billion) to over Rs 4.4 trillion ($60 billion) by 2022.

I am confident that this initiative by the Karnataka Government in the field of millets will give rise to a wave of economic development of farmers across the country

Beginning in 1994, my association with organic farming-industry dates back almost two decades. ICCOA has played the critical role in bringing all the stakeholders together for one decade now. I wish every success to them in future and their role as a policy advocacy organisation in India.

Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board (UOCB) appreciates ICCOA's work for the organic movement and is happy to be associated with them for many years.

It was impressive to see such ambitious people working hard for the organic farming sector, i+m is already supporting several projects of organic farming and fair trade all over the world and is looking forward to be active in India as well. I am very happy that I could be a part of the buyer group invited by the organisers

It's the best platform in India for the organic sector as stake holders from all the states visited the show. We have not only made contacts with Indian and foreign buyers but also with new farmers and suppliers of raw materials. It was a great value addition for us. The show was very well organised and successful show. We'll definitely be there again with a bigger space.

In India, organic movement started in the early nineties with organic tea plantation taking lead. India has a lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its various agro climatic regions. ICCOA has provided a platform for networking among players in the organic sector since 2005. We wish them all success.

The dream of 'organic movement of India' is to revive our agrarian culture which was alive and thriving less than a couple of decades ago. The organic movement brings into play an overpowering reminiscence of childhood memories embedded with fragrance, taste and color of good food. In the Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board, we are proud that we could directly support organic farmers for sustenance of their livelihoods and preserve the Himalayan agriculture. UOCB appreciates ICCOA's work for the organic movement and is happy to be associated with them for many years.

Some would feel sorry about the barren lands of Maharashtra and ponder over the excessive use of chemicals and fertilizers. The latter did more harm not only to the farm but also the farmers. Many organic farming groups in state feel that the quality of organic produce has improved tremendously, demand has grown, money started flowing in and families are happier. More than 3000 farmers participated in India Organic Trade Fair with the support of Government of Maharashtra. We wish ICCOA all success in the future.