INTRODUCTION
Over the last few decades, the way people think about agriculture and food marketing has shifted dramatically around the world. Agriculture’s massive commercialization has had a disastrous impact on the environment, which is where organic farming comes in. Organic farming is an upcoming means of producing food that has a lower negative environmental effect.
India, since time immemorial, has been termed as an agrarian economy. More than half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country was a contribution of the primary sector i.e., agriculture during the British Era, and even after independence. This was why the first two Five Year Plans laid significant importance on the agrarian economy. However, post the advent of the LPG policies and commercialisation, there has been a downfall in both, the contribution of the primary sector to India’s GDP as well as the amount of funds channelled towards the functioning of the sector. However, amidst all these changes, till date the share of agriculture sector in Indian GDP is approximately 20% which is notably higher than the world’s average.
Presently, the market for agrarian products is booming, and worldwide acceptance has been granted to organic products. India has been a competitor in the market and has been constantly increasingly its sales in both, organic and inorganic agricultural produce and several mechanisms exist to regulate the organic production and distribution chain. It is imperative to analyse the same to ensure efficiency and continued high returns from the sector.
ORGANIC FARMING AND ITS TREND IN INDIA
As per the definition given by The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), “organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, and people. It relies on ecological processes, and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.”
There has been a substantial increase in capital and investment in research and extension, which has resulted in widespread conversion to organic agriculture. India has a vast opportunity to develop organic crops and become a significant supplier of organic products in the global market. According to the study of the Government of India’s Task Force on Organic Farming, parts of the country where only a small quantity of chemicals are used and productivity is low could be utilized as prospective organic agriculture zones. Moreover, states have already begun to compartmentalize a large share of their agrarian activities to organic means and methods. Sikkim is the first state in the world that is 100% organic i.e., all of its farmland is certified organic. Additionally, other states of Uttrakhand, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have set out on their journey of organic farming as well.
The amount of organically cultivated land in India has steadily increased over the years, resulting in a rise in research committed to such farming and its market size. Organic farming is currently practiced on 3.8 million hectares of cultivable land by 3 million farmers, with export and domestic demand totaling Rs. 7,000 crore and Rs. 4,400 crores, respectively.
REGULATORY MECHANISMS FOR ORGANIC FARMING
With the growing demand for organic food in both national and international markets, it has become necessary to ensure that agricultural products labelled as “organic” meet the basic standards of organic production and that the entire production process is independently verified by certification agencies.
According to Section 22 of the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for regulating the manufacture, distribution, sale, and import of “organic foods.” Organic foods are governed by the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017, which were published under the Act’s requirements.
Moreover, The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), inaugurated in 2001 by the Indian government’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is the country’s first project which ensures quality certification of organic products. The NPOP not only established an institutional framework for the accreditation of certification agencies and the operationalization of certification programs through its approved certification organizations, but it also ensures that the system operates properly and is regularly monitored.
Apart from certification under NPOP, the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)-India is also in place which is a regionally relevant quality assurance project that emphasizes stakeholder participation, including producers and consumers, and operates beyond the scope of third-party certification.
Both these certifications operate independently. While the former deals with export as well as domestic marketing including imports, the latter only certifies for domestic marketing. A rigorous process is in place in order to comply with the certification procedures.
The NPOP’s apex body is the Department of Commerce, which is part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India. The National Steering Committee (NSC), which is part of the Department of Commerce, is in charge of implementing and administering the NPOP, which includes developing standards, accreditation policies, procedures, and regulations for the use of the Certification Trade Mark “India Organic Logo.”
Various policy and governmental initiatives have also paved way for more and more famers to adopt the organic method of farming. Government of India promotes nutrient management through low-input organic farming through initiatives like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development North East (MOVCDNER). It helps farmers by encouraging the creation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), developing value chains, and facilitating market linkages. In addition, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) operates a countrywide effort to produce location-specific organic cropping system package of techniques.
IPR AND ORGANIC FARMING
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) understands the importance of becoming competitive in the area of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in order to eventually lift Indian farmers out of poverty through transferring IPR-enabled technology via commercial, cooperative, and public channels. ICAR took the first move towards proactive management of IPRs developed by our scientists in the early 1990s. This was in accordance with anticipated worldwide developments in trade and intellectual property rights, but it stayed within the bounds of our Patents Act. Food and agrochemicals goods, as well as agricultural and horticultural practices, were not patentable issues at the time. Furthermore, there was no national legislation in effect to conserve plant varieties. As a result, the progression of IPR titles for ICAR was delayed back then. However, as a result of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements, the legal landscape surrounding IPRs rapidly changed, and by 2005, the country had revised or enacted a number of IPR laws to meet national requirements in relation to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property. These changes have also presented new problems to the public research and education system in agriculture and other fields in terms of being current, compatible, and competitive.
In Indian law, IPRs for planting and crops is under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act of 2001. Additionally, being a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), India ought to act in line with the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). Moreover, since organic farming is an upcoming arena of agriculture in the country, IPR can serve as an incentive to make substantive advancements in technology, research and development of agrarian methods. All this will eventually lead to the protection of plants and activities revolving surrounding crop cultivation.
While IPR can be of value addition once incorporated into Indian agriculture successfully, there are various impediments to the same. Diffusion of the IPR technology and moreover its accessibility to all is a long way to go. India is still in its preliminary stages in incorporating IPR into organic agriculture.
THE WAY FORWARD
India is an agriculture-based country, 67 percent of the population and 55 percent of the workforce is dependent on farming and its allied sectors. Agriculture provides for the basic necessities of India’s fastest-growing population, accounting for 30% of total revenue. Organic farming has been discovered to be an ancient Indian tradition that has been practiced in innumerable rural and farming communities for millennia. Traditional Indian farmers have a strong understanding of soil fertility and pest management based on their knowledge, thorough observation, tenacity, and techniques that have been found to be successful in improving organic output and subsequent economic growth in India. Organic agriculture has made significant advances.
Increased production, compliance with guidelines as well as subsequent steps towards achieving the integration of IPR into agriculture can prove to be extremely fruitful in the journey of incorporating organic farming in the country. Moreover, the Government is already providing various benefits by means of several schemes for those who undertake the organic method of production. These include, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) under Soil Health Management Scheme, National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) etc. The responsibility of the farmers is to claim advantages provided, and the government ought to increasingly direct funds to the increase of organic production.
CONCLUSION
The organic market is growing, and it is fast becoming the internationally accepted mode of production. India being one of the leaders in agrarian production and export soon adopted to this new means and is leading its way through. Various states have been quick enough to adapt and deliver.
With new frontiers being discovered, regulations play a key role in ensuring that the cycle of production and distribution functions well. Moreover, technological advancement has proven to be an advantage.
With the advent of IPR in the agriculture sector, organic farming and IPR has been working together profitably. However, possibilities still remain under-explored. A combined effort by the government as well as the producers, i.e., our farmers can help organic farming prosper in India in its entirety.