siliconindia | | April 20209In order to ensure smooth transmission of organic food from one place to another, an effective supply chain structure must be in placemade the sector more competitive with many players en-tering the industry. This further expanded the growth of the organic food industry, as it is not only widespread in Tier-I cities now, but also gaining substantial market share in Tier-II & III cities. With more and more people in the country being able to access education as well as mobile phones, digital literacy is set to go up, and with growing e-Commerce penetration, the organic industry is all set to witness a massive boom. SAFETY & NUTRITION Several studies have found that organic food contains higher amounts of essential nutrients and minerals such as Vitamin C, iron and zinc than non-organic foods. More-over, they are almost always served fresh, making the most of their nutritional values, unlike processed foods which are artificially preserved for a longer shelf life. It is also a common practice for farms to inject artificial hormones and give antibiotics to their livestock, which are found in products like meat, eggs & milk and can cause hormon-al imbalance as well as the development of drug resistant bacteria in human beings. Organically farmed produce do not use any artificial compounds to enhance food quality, and thereby reduce the risk of any complications. Numerous studies have shown that organically grown crops have higher levels of antioxidants than those grown commercially. This is because plants use more antioxi-dants to defend themselves against diseases when grown in the soil consumed by pesticides. Organic food is grown without any chemicals, which makes it more safe and nu-tritious than non-organic food. INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR INDIAN ORGANIC FOOD Due to India's favourable agricultural climatic conditions, coupled with an inherited tradition of organic farming, the country is able to produce high quality organic prod-ucts which are a hit with consumers not only in India, but abroad as well. As per reports, India exported organic products worth $515 million in the financial year 2017-2018, and this will only increase in the coming years. India exports tonnes of organic oil seeds, cereals, mil-lets, sugar, fruit juice concentrates, tea, spices, pulses, dry fruits as well as medicinal plant products overseas, which has not only led to the growth of the sector, but also placed India's organic produce at par with the global standard. In-dian organic farmers have been able to produce food that is consistent in quality as well organic traceability with the help of their traditional knowledge of organic farming.THE WAY FORWARD An analysis of the current trends in the organic food mar-ket reveals that there is a likelihood of the industry ex-panding and demand increasing in the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, in order to ensure smooth transmission of or-ganic food from one place to another, an effective supply chain structure must be in place. This must operate with coordination between cost and logistics, given the perish-able nature of most organic produce. Moreover, it is essential for the Indian government to support and promote organic farming by extending financial help to those farmers who adopt organic farm-ing along with ensuring an accreditation programme for certification bodies and standards for organic production which facilitate fair farming practices and in the end good organic produce. Seema Jindal Jajodia
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