18
trendspotting JULY 19-25, 2015
Fad for Thought Is the organic food that you bite into really free of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers?
INDULEKHA ARVIND
“Lacon — the international agency that certifies organic production of agricultural products — inspects every three months. Our entire farm is certified, not just what is meant for export” Sunita Prabhakar, director, Gopalan Organics
While third-party certification by APEDA-accredited agencies is mandatory for exports, certification for the domestic market has been voluntary
:: Indulekha Aravind
O
n her 60-acre farm off Kanakpura Road, around 30 kilo- tions every three months, including random checks. metres outside Bengaluru, Sunita Prabhakar, director And the entire farm is certified, not just what is meant for of Gopalan Organics, is overseeing the packaging of veg- export,” explains Prabhakar, when asked how customers are assured that the produce is organic. etables before they are sent off to stores in the city Though individual packets do not carry certibefore noon. “We are not able to keep up with fication labels, the certificates are displayed the demand,” says Prabhakar, who began by in stores and on the website, she says, addexporting dry herbs in 2004 and added vegeing that to export organic items, internatables for the domestic market in 2009, a cattional norms are stringent and violations egory they are looking to ramp up 10can invite penalties, including a ban for fold next year. At present, domestic six years. sales make up 40% of the `80 lakh The produce of Gopalan Organics, bemonthly revenue. The vegetables are “Certification is ing primarily driven by the export marsold in plastic bags with the logo of Gotoo expensive for ket, might be certified organic to meet palan Organics through stores in her small farmers. I’d international standards. But in India the family’s real estate firm, Gopalan Ensuggest customers term organic is yet to be defined by law, terprises, and also online grocery stores like Big Basket. connect with the despite growing interest in the segment. “In Europe and the US, the word organic “Our farm is certified organic by Laorganic is protected by law but here anybody con — the German agency that certifies ecosystem” can use that term. Nobody can be punorganic production of agricultural prodMeera Rajesh, ished for violations,” says Narayana ucts — which is a must since we export IT executive-turned-organicUpadhyaya, managing director of Aditi, most of our produce. They do inspecfarmer
Organic Food in Numbers Total area under under organic certification
4.72
million hectares
According to ICCOA data, the domestic market for organic produce has gone up to `600 crore in 2014, from nearly zero ten years ago
Cultivable area under organic certification
0.72
million hectares
Certified organic production, including food products and organic cotton
1.24
million MT
135
Number of organic products exported, including organic textiles
Note: Figures are for 2013-14; Source: APEDA
19
trendspotting JULY 19-25, 2015
There are discussions for Agmark and the FSSAI to oversee the domestic organic market but any legislation is yet to be passed
Many small farmers prefer the participatory guarantee system as it works out a little more economically in their favour
NPOP Standards for Organic Food crops on an 8-acre farm certified through the PGS. Time from the Laxminarayan, another software engineer who has start of organic taken up organic farming, management to says he and his friends certification, have also given up the known as idea of pursuing thirdconversion party certification. “How do you know what is certiperiod, should be fied is organic? There have 3 years been incidents where someThe Norms Now thing that was labelled as organic “When you say something is organwas not,” says Laxminarayan, ic, there has to be a guarantee. It All seeds who grows ragi and other crops can’t be the producer alone and plant on an 18-acre plot of land he claiming it is organic,” says material owns with ten friends. LegislaManoj Menon, executive direction alone might not be the antor of International Competence should be swer, he says. “It would need Centre for Organic Agriculture certified to be backed by constant moni(ICCOA), set up in 2004 to proorganic toring and testing, which is mote organic farming. While thirdwhere a regulatory authority party certification by APEDA-acneeds to step in.” credited agencies is mandatory Converted The lack of legally enforcefor exports, still the target marland shall not able standards for organic ket for the bulk of India’s orfood also affects those who ganic produce, certification get switched back market produce from certifor the domestic market has and forth between fied organic farms. “We feel been voluntary, in a sense. organic and we are being discriminated There are discussions for Agconventional against,” says CMN Shastry, mark and the Food Safety and management chairman and managing diStandards Authority of India rector of Phalada Agro Research (FSSAI) to step in and oversee the Foundation, at his office off Magadomestic organic market but any di road, some 25 kilometres legislation is yet to be passed, The use of away from Bengaluru. As the says Menon. According to ICsynthetic head of a `32-crore organic COA data, the domestic marfood concern which exket for organic produce has herbicides, ports most of its produce, gone up to `600 crore in fungicides, Shastry does not fit into the 2014, from nearly zero ten insecticides and stereotype of a victim. But years ago. other pesticides his grievance may be genuThe other option for dois prohibited ine enough. mestic farmers is to become Phalada gets its over 150 part of a participatory guarorganic products from antee system (PGS). Here, an 1,400 farms across the audit of the farm is done by a country and sells it under peer group of farmers overthe “Pure and Sure” label seen by a regional council, certified by the Indian but the standards will be arms of certifying bodies those laid down in the govsuch as Germany’s Lacon ernment’s National Proand Dutch agency Control gramme for Organic ProducUnion, so that it meets the tion. Menon describes this criteria set by the export as a less bureaucratic way of market, from which the certification that is internacompany gets 90% of its tionally accepted. “One has revenue. “Without domesto realise that not all organic tic regulation, there is no produce is meant for export, Note: NPOP is the National way to distinguish between so why should we adhere to Programme for Organic Production, whose standards for production a genuine player and someinternational rules,” he asks. and accreditation are recognised by Small farmers prefer PGS European Commission and USDA as one who is not,” he says. The equivalent to their respective implication: his certified oralso because it works out a little countries’ standards ganic produce, which sells at a more economical. “Certification is too expensive at `30,000 a year. And premium partly because of the high cost of certhose who are part of the ecosystem know tification, ends up competing with products even certification is no guarantee that it is that carry the organic label, but which may not 100% organic,” says Meera Rajesh, who quit be certified. With Phalada’s revenue share her career in the IT industry in Bengaluru and from the domestic market expected to go up to took up organic farming with her husband. 25% this year, Shastry is concerned. One of the most vocal proponents for doThe couple now grow coffee and some other one of the 24 organic certification bodies accredited by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which are authorised to certify farms according to the government’s National Programme for Organic Production of 2001.
GOPALAN ORGANICS
“When you say something is organic, there has to be a guarantee. It can’t be the producer alone claiming it is organic” Manoj Menon, executive director, International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture
mestic certification of organic food is Crop Care Federation of India, an association representing pesticide manufacturers and formulators, which has sent a legal notice to FSSAI and the joint secretary in the ministry of agriculture. The federation alleges that there were “flagrant labelling violations” in organic products sold in the retail market and holds the weak implementation of the FSSAI Act partly responsible. Last December, it made public the results of a study by Indian Agricultural Research Institute which found that a third of samples of organic vegetables from Delhi had pesticide residue above the maximum permissible level. “I am not against organic farming but the monitoring mechanism is practically non-ex-
CMN Shastry, chairman, and his son, Surya Shastry, director at Phalada Agro Research
INDULEKHA ARVIND
istent and people are being taken for a ride. Today, it’s blasphemy to ask questions about anything labelled organic,” says S Ganesan, an advisor to Crop Care Federation. But when a pesticide manufacturers’ association takes on the organic farming sector, one could be forgiven for thinking the crusade is not entirely altruistic. “The organic lobby in India creates their market by blaming pesticides and not talking about their virtues — that’s where I come into the picture. I cannot introduce any pesticide unless I submit all required data so that the recommended use does not cause any adverse human or environmental effect but where is the regulatory compliance for organic produce?” counters Ganesan. While adding that one has to see the issue of pesticide residue in totality, KK Sharma, the scientist at the New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute who led the study quoted by Crop Care Federation, says there needs to be a more robust mechanism monitoring organic produce. “If you can grow organic food, well and good, but if it contains pesticides, you shouldn’t label it as organic,” says Sharma, who says the institute has shared their findings with APEDA and FSSAI and will be sharing the whole report with them. “The certification needs to be done by regulatory authorities,” he adds.
Proactive Retailers In the wake of the recent Maggi imbroglio and concerns over contamination of food, more retailers have begun asking for documentation about organic certification, says Phalada’s Shastry. “But they don’t seem to know precisely what to ask for either,” he adds. Seshu Kumar, head of merchandising at online grocer Big Basket, says the company checks whether the produce they source is certified organic; and for fruit and vegetables it has also tied up with farmers from whom they buy directly and sell under their private label Fresho. Fresho, the company estimates, will contribute half of its total sale of fruit and vegetables, from 15% currently. “The market is still very nascent but there needs to be clarity on what is organic and what is not. There is definitely a case for bringing in uniform standards, if not legislation,” says Retailers Association of India CEO Kumar Rajagopalan. But until legislation is adopted, customers might do well to either check whether the organic produce has been certified by an accredited agency or the PGS, in the case of packaged goods, or whether it is from a store they trust. At the end of the day, organic farming is about maintaining the trust between the producer and the consumer; as Menon says, “The consumer should not be shortchanged.”
20
trendspotting JULY 19-25, 2015
Fertile Ground for an Organic Revolution
JIPSON SIKHERA
An organic farming crusade is raging in Kerala after studies found imported farm produce from neighbouring states contained high levels of pesticides :: S Sanandakumar & PK Krishnakumar
W
the current 70% because large tracts of land are getting converted for organic cultivation”
Ripe Market The supply of vegetables from Tamil Nadu with minimal checks on their chemical content would have continued unabated if not for the growing awareness about pesticides and fertiliser. People have not only taken note of their near total dependence for vegetables on other states but also the quality of the imports. A raft of studies have linked pesticides to the rising incidence of cancer and other diseases in
Students of Rajagiri College and Sacred Heart College display a bumper harvest they reaped through organic farming on three and half acres in Ernakulam DEEPAPRASAD T K
hen popular Malayalam actor Manju Warrier decided to return to work in 2014 after a 15-year sabbatical, she waited for a movie centred on a socio-economic and political theme. How Old Are You? , the film she finally picked espoused food safety, telling the story of poisonous chemicals in the form of pesticides and fertilisers that find their way to the fruits and vegetables we consume daily. The hugely successful film intensified a campaign that was already gaining currency in the state — organic food cultivation. There was a time when the people of Kerala relied on homegrown vegetables, which were safe to eat. Not anymore. Growing population, urbanisation and ris“The share of ing wage levels necessitated imports of fruits and homegrown vegetables in large quantivegetables in ties from the nearby states meeting the of Tamil Nadu and Karnademand in taka. Tamil Nadu soon became the major supplier of Kerala will rise vegetables to Kerala. from As it happens when people gorge, Kerala was blissfully unaware of the rising use of fertilisers and pesticides in the imported vegetables. For states like Tamil Nadu, the huge demand from Kerala turned out to be a lucrative opportunity. It bumped up the supply of vegetables by using vast Subrata Biswas, principal secretary, tracts of irrigated land. Low agriculture, Kerala wages too helped.
ARS Vadhyar, owner of Yasoram Builders, in his terrace garden in Ernakulam
Kerala. Oncologist VP Gangadharan says high pesticide residue levels cause cancer in two ways. One, a direct effect that leads to gastro-intestinal cancer. Two, an indirect effect that causes breast and uterus cancer in women by disrupting the hormone levels. “Every third woman coming for cancer treatment has breast cancer,” said Gangadharan. Confronted with this terrible situation, the State Food Safety Council carried out a field study to delve into the pesticide issue. A three-member team collected samples from various vegetable production centres in Tamil Nadu. “The picture that emerged from our studies was rather grim,” said G Gopakumar, research officer, Food Safety Council. The studies showed usage of high levels of chemical pesticides and fertilisers by farmers. Based on a report by the council, the State Horticulture Mission took up the matter with its Tamil Nadu counterpart. Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy called for a meeting of food safety
commissioners and health secretaries of the southern states to discuss the issue. The din that followed had a positive outcome. People who had almost given up farming began to grow vegetables in their backyard or terrace. Kerala agriculture minister KP Mohanan recently said the state is now meeting over 70% of its demand for vegetables on its own compared with just 20% a few years ago. Subrata Biswas, state agriculture production commissioner and principal secretary of agriculture, said people from across the state have taken a deep interest in organic farming. “Work is going on in many panchayats in Kasargod and the government is likely to declare the district as fully organic this year,’’ he said. The share of homegrown vegetables in meeting the demand in the state will increase gradually from the current 70% because large tracts of land are getting converted for organic cultivation, according to him.
Time for Change In recent times, government agencies, social organisations, political parties, women’s organisations and farmers’ self-help groups are all participating in what is becoming an organic farming revolution in the state. Since 2011, the State Horticulture Mission has been distributing grow bags (plastic bags containing sterile growing medium and nutrients to enable plants to grow) in south Kerala. It distributed 8.25 lakh such bags in the first year to 33,000 people and 6.89 lakh to 27,000 beneficiaries in the next year. It has since changed its focus to open cultivation. Kudumbashree, an organisation that aims to empower women, has carried the message to every nook and corner of the
state. Warrier is the goodwill ambassador of its organic food movement. Kudumbashree has pushed nearly three lakh women into organic farming. Of the 50,000 hectares that the organisation has taken up for agriculture, it has devoted 8,400 hectares for organic vegetables. Even parties are doing their bit. The CPM plans to open 1,000 stalls devoted to vegetables grown through organic farming this Onam, Kerala’s biggest festival. At least one company from across the border is conscious of Kerala’s concerns over polluted food produce. Lawrencedale Agro Processing, a fresh vegetable supply chain company, based in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, brings fresh vegetables straight from farmers to retail shops. The seven-year-old company engages more than 3,000 farmers in south India and assures them of consistent and good remuneration. Avoiding many layers of intermediaries makes this possible. Lawrencedale said it uses laser perforation packages after hygienic washing to reduce pesticide residue. Laser perforations help prolong freshness and quality of vegetables, which are shipped in refrigerated vans, according to the company. The farm produce is washed by ozone-wash process that brings down the residue content to bare minimum, according to P Vijayaraghavan, founder and chief executive, Lawrencedale. “We also advise the farmers in our fold to reduce dependency on pesticides by suggesting alternatives,’’ he said. The vegetables, marketed under the LEAF brand, cost 20% extra. The company is hoping consumers will ignore the markup due to the minimal pesticide residue, now that Kerala seems to have decided it won’t compromise on food safety.