Shifting to an eating healthy and organic diet can create a positive cycle of increased demand, better prices, and improved livelihoods for farmers.

By Shashi Kumar

One of the very few desirable outcomes of the Covid-19 led disruption to our normal lives was that we have become more conscious of what we eat, apparently to keep our immunity intact. Globally, there has been a sharp rise in the consumption of organic food, according to FiBL, an organic farming information and research organization based in Switzerland. FiBL’s ‘The World of Organic Agriculture 2022’ report estimates the global market for organic food to be around $130 billion as of 2020 backed by a 4% increase in organic farmland in that year.

Organic Exports and Domestic Market

Thanks to big organic consuming countries like the US and many in Europe, India’s export of organic products have seen steady growth in the last few years. Between 2019-20 and 2021-22, India exported organic products valued at an average of $800 million a year, and in fact crossed $1 billion in 2020-21, at the peak of Covid-19.

There is a steady growth in organic food producers in India and we were among the top three in the world in terms of bringing more land under organic farming (as of 2020). Despite sprouting strong green shoots in the global market, organic food has remained a fringe option in the home market. Estimated to be around $820 million in 2020, it is a tiny fraction of our overall food bill.

Organic Farming Benefits Farmers

Quite rightly, globally organic is advocated as a healthier way to eat. While there can be no argument there, in India we can also stretch a point in favor of another key stakeholder in the food business – the farmer.

Doubling Farmers’ Income for Rural Economy

According to government data (from 2020), an average agriculture household income is around Rs 1.2 lakh a year. Even if we take the national per capita income as a reference, Indian farmers who constitute nearly half of our working population earn 50% less than an average Indian. And it is precisely why missions like doubling farmers’ income are important and their success will have a visible impact on the country’s rural economy.

Sustainable Farming: Balancing Livelihood and Long-Term Goals

Improving farmers’ livelihood is something we can all agree on, quite cheerfully. Financially lucrative agriculture will not only improve rural GDP, but will also stop large cities-bound migrations, and attract more people to look at agriculture and its allied activities as a full-time profession. But the catch here is increasing farm production and productivity through conventional chemical-fed farming is going to be counter-productive in the long run. Deteriorating soil health and poor quality of farm produce is a serious challenge now. Going down the path on a larger scale (to double income) will run counter to our long-term sustainability goals.

Sustainable Organic Food: Impact on Farmers and Consumers

The way forward has to be sustainable and it has to be organic. And for this to happen, we need consumers to also shift to organic food. In my opinion, increasing the consumption of organic food will have a direct impact on farmers’ household income. While a large-scale consumer-led shift to organic food can deliver substantial growth in India’s rural economy, along with health benefits for consumers and better environmental outcomes, it will not be easy.

As consumers, we also have a lot to gain by eating healthy. Better health means spending less on medical bills and the value of this long-term investment in ourselves and our families are lost in conversation about the high cost of organic food.

It is a valid argument. One of the principal reasons for the poor demand for organic food in India has been the cost to consumers. On average the retail price of organic produce is twice that of conventional ones. Organic has become synonymous with expensive and affordable only to the rich living in big cities.

Organic Food Challenge: Slow Farmland Conversion

Poor economies of scale have created an ‘egg and chick’ situation that has kept a vast majority of Indian consumers away from organic food. Bringing more farmland under the organic model can address the supply side of the challenge and hence bring more consumers into the organic ecosystem. This conversion in farmlands is not happening fast enough.

Challenges of Converting to Organic Farming

Converting chemical-fed land to one fit for organic farming is a two-three-year phase with some challenges that are unique to India. During this period, among other things, the farmer has to replace highly subsidized fertilizers like di-ammonium phosphate popularly known as DAP with organic manure and this takes a lot of time and effort. To put it more bluntly, in our quest to increase farm output in quick time (yes, The Green Revolution!), we have created a massive agriculture sector addicted to harmful chemicals that continues to deteriorate the soil and human and environmental health.

Interventions Needed for Sustainable Agriculture

Any plan or strategy to get out of this self-inflicted downward spiral in our agricultural sector, is going to need two key interventions. First, farmers have to be mentored out of bad agricultural practices through education/advocacy and more importantly with material support to replace chemicals and other harmful farm inputs with organic manure, etc.

This “de-addiction” process will not be easy and will need strong institutional support. Over the last 12 years, in Southern Karnataka, we have converted more than 850 farmers to organic. While the main product is dairy, these rejuvenated farms generate multiple sources of income including organic fruits and vegetables, honey, egg, coconut, etc. Post the complete conversion to organic, farmers here have seen their income treble after the third year.

Consumer Intervention: Key to Sustainable Agriculture

The second intervention has to come from consumers. Unless as consumers we acknowledge the value of organic food and more importantly the urgent need to move away from chemical-fed agriculture, large-scale shift will not be possible. And acknowledging the value means being willing to pay a higher price for our food, something we are already doing without realizing it. The fertilizer subsidy bill for the current financial year is expected to be Rs 2.3-2.5 lakh crore, paid for by common taxpayers like you and me. The irony is we are spending a lot of money on producing unhealthy food that keeps our farmers poor and farmlands sick. None of the key stakeholders are any better off under the current system of agriculture.

Shift to Organic for a Healthier Lifestyle

On World Health Day (2023), celebrated this year under the broad theme of ‘Health For All’, we can pledge to make a small beginning by shifting to at least one organic item in our kitchens, be it fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains or any condiment of our choice. From a consumer’s point of view, shifting to an organic diet opens the door to a completely new lifestyle and a healthier one too. Without chemical fertilizers and preservatives, food is naturally fresh. It helps replenish soil nutrients and bring them to their original and natural state. It uses lesser water and does not contaminate the water table either.

Cultural Significance of Food

Indians are well-known for their love for food. Food also has huge cultural and religious significance in the country. The food we eat every day changes in tune with the seasons and festivals. Regional flavors add more dimensions to this wonderfully complicated food ecosystem. Shifting to organic or healthier food should come naturally to us.

Consumers’ Impact on Global Shift to Organic Food

As collective, Indian retail consumers are a formidable economic force. A large-scale shift towards organic food in India will have a tremendous impact on a global scale too. India is among the top three producers of major grains, vegetables and fruits. A fourth of the global milk production is in India. But a national shift to healthy eating will need a cultural shift too.

Consumers, in general, may understand the direct health benefits of eating organic, but not its impact on the environment, soil, and water. Rising consumer awareness through better labeling and branding should be an important part of our strategy to enable this shift. For example, ‘free range eggs’ are quite popular in the West because of the collective and persistent advocacy by sellers and activists. We need similar movements across all farm produce in India too.

Stakeholder Involvement in India’s Shift to Organic Agriculture

India’s agricultural sector is quite complex with several stakeholders between the farmers and consumers. A large-scale shift toward an organic and resilient food system will have to involve multiple stakeholders. For example, the money we are spending on fertilizer subsidies has to gradually move towards more productive and healthier investment in agriculture including research and development. For example, private corporations in the farm inputs business in Europe are committing huge investments in soil science.

Similarly, consumers should be induced (if necessary through fiscal incentives) to shift from water-intensive crops like rice to more sustainable millet, which is both healthy and takes in lesser water. Another emerging stakeholder group is startups that are focused on agriculture. Many of these are focused on improving farming practices to make them more productive and efficient while reducing the drudgery that comes with farming. Finally, a lot of consumer education can be done through private brands that dominate the packaged food industry.

Acknowledging and Supporting Farmers Beyond Just Thanks

In India we have this wonderful tradition of thanking the farmers who grow our food, traders who brought it to the market, and the cook who prepared the food before every meal. I believe our farmers deserve a lot more than just thanks.