India’s organic food exports, which had been on a steady decline for the past four years due to sluggish global demand, trade uncertainties, and certification challenges, are showing signs of recovery in 2024–25, government data shows.
According to data provided by the Ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI), exports of organic food products rose to 368,155.04 metric tons (MT) valued at US$665.97 million in 2024-25, marking an increase of nearly 41% in quantity and 35% in value compared to the previous year.
The data indicates a consistent fall from 2020-21 to 2023-24, with export volumes shrinking by more than 70% during that period. Officials attribute the decline to weak global demand, regulatory changes in key markets such as the United States and the European Union, and certification bottlenecks that increased transaction costs for exporters.
“The United States and European Union (EU) are the key markets for organic exports from India. For exports to the US, exporters have to be certified by USDA-NOP (U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program) accredited Certification Bodies (CBs), and similarly for export of processed food to the EU, the exporters have to be certified by EU accredited Certification Bodies,” a PIB release stated.
“In the case of the EU, there was a dip in the number of certification bodies that could certify processed food exports in 2022 due to the delisting of some of the certification bodies, which limited the certification space and increased the transaction costs for the stakeholders. This also has resulted in a decline of organic food exports,” the release said.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of commerce and industry, has undertaken several measures to revive the sector. These include financial assistance for the development of export infrastructure, quality improvement, and market development, as well as implementation of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The programme covers accreditation of certification bodies, development of organic production standards, and promotion of organic farming and marketing.
Additionally, the Ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI) is supporting the organic and processed food sectors through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), and the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI). These initiatives aim to develop modern infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and enhance export competitiveness.
In 2020-21, exports of 888,179.68 MT valued at US$1040.95 million were recorded, which fell to 460,320.40 MT (US$771.96 million) in 2021-22. In 2022-23, exports of organic food products were recorded at 312,800.51 MT, valued at US$708.33 million. In 2023-24, exports were recorded at 261,029.00 MT, valued at 494.80 US$ million. It rose to 368,155.04 MT, valued at US$665.97 million, in 2024-25.
This information was provided by the minister of state for food processing industries, Ravneet Singh, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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