The Organic Agri Export Conundrum: Growth and Opportunities in India

<p>India holds the sixth position globally in terms of organic agricultural area and ranks first in terms of the total number of producers in 2021 (FIBL & IFOAM Year Book 2023). The country has seen significant growth in organic cultivated area and production from 0.5 to 5.39 million hectare (Mha), and 1.3 million tones (MT) to 2.95 MT respectively, during 2012-13 to 2022-23. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan have the highest area and production share under organic farming in India. These three states have a combined share of over 60% of the total organic area and 70% of the total organic production in the country. Madhya Pradesh, in particular, has emerged as the leader in organic farming in India with the highest area (0.618 Mha) and production (1.26 MT) in 2021-22.<br>In the wake of the current scenario of organic export from the country to major export destinations, an effort has been made through this paper to provide an in-depth analysis of the export of organic agricultural produce from India, examining trends, growth, and instability in the area and production. By leveraging secondary data from various governmental sources like the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), the paper explores the potential of the organic sector to contribute to India's economic growth and agriculture sustainability, strengthening the nation's position as a key player in the global organic market. Time series data spanning the period 2012-2022 on area, production, and export of organic produce was utilized and the export of organic produce from India and major states was studied using CAGR, coefficients of variation (CV), and the Cuddy-Della Valle Index (CDVI) for instability. </p>