National Programme for Organic Production

About National Programme for Organic Production:

• It was launched during 2001 and laid the foundation for systematic development of the organic agriculture sector in the country.
• It is a key government programme that strengthens India's organic certification system, promoting sustainable farming practices and opening new opportunities for farmers and exporters.
• By setting high standards for organic products, NPOP enhances India’s competitiveness in the global organic market, while helping farmers adopt eco-friendly and economically viable practices.
• The programme involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc.
• Implementing agency: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India is implementing this programme.

Highlights of the 8th Edition of NPOP

• It introduced key amendments aimed at promoting ease of operations and enhancing transparency for stakeholders, including farmers.
  • Certification requirements for organic grower groups have been simplified, and these groups are now granted legal status in place of the Internal Control System (ICS).
• Many portals launched in this edition namely
  • NPOP portal: The dedicated portal for the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) will provide more visibility and ease of operations for Organic stakeholders.
  • Organic Promotion Portal: Farmers, FPOs and exporters can showcase their certified organic products, generate Trade Leads and connect with global buyers. This will also include online Training and capacity building sessions for operators on Organic production and also information on Organic Trade events.
  • TraceNet 2.0: The upgraded online Organic traceability system for seamless operations and enhanced tools for regulatory oversight.
  • APEDA portal: Redesigned and revamped APEDA portal with enhanced user experience and information for the benefit of Agri and Processed food products’ stakeholders.
  • AgriXchange portal: Redesigned and revamped AgriXchange portal enables more user-friendly data analysis and generation of reports & data of Agricultural exports making it accessible for the general public.

Q1: What are the objectives of a National Programme for Organic Production?

The primary objectives of this programme are: Providing a platform or method that can evaluate the certification programme for organic agriculture and products, according to the criteria approved by the government. 

Source: BS