India : Ground Zero for a Global Organic Food Revolution

Food and agriculture experts believe that Indians have started embracing organic food with great zeal because of the Covid-19 scare. 

There could be some element of truth in this. The Covid pandemic touched every human being in the world in one way or another and became a wake-up call for millions around the world and in India to take a serious look at the quality of the food we eat. And when nutrition became a priority, it is but natural for us to go the organic way. While we are creating a healthy food ecosystem by expanding the country’s organic agriculture, India may as well lead the global organic food revolution too. 

We need to look at only two facts to convince ourselves that India ought to be the ground zero for a global movement for promoting organic food consumption. One, India is a large agrarian economy. Despite a consistent drop over the last several decades, agriculture still contributes around 17% of [KS1] India’s GDP, and that is

pretty huge given that our GDP is around $3.8 trillion (the fifth largest in the world!). And nearly half of India’s working population is engaged in agriculture for livelihood. Two, India is the world’s largest vegetarian country. Around 30-35% of Indians are vegetarians and since we are the most populous country in the world, it translates to a massive number. While meat can be organic too it is currently too small in terms of market size (demand and supply).  

On the other hand, India’s domineering size in the global agriculture market is of monolithic proportions. India is among the top three producers of the most consumed grains, fruits and vegetables in the world. Sample these: Over 80% of the global mint production comes out of India[KS2]. And nearly one out of every four litres of milk is also from India.  

So, if India lends its weight to an organic food movement, it will have a global impact. The socio-economic outcomes would be historic. At the least, we will be healthier and live longer. Soil quality will flourish and we will enjoy a more humane and symbiotic relationship with plants and animals. And finally the livelihood and quality of life of our farmers will improve dramatically. 

We don’t have any accurate data on the number of organic food consumers in India. But if the recent explosive growth in new brands of organic food products is any indication, we may be on the cusp of a long-awaited revolution. But if this has to happen, it has to be a consumer-driven movement. And that means every Indian must consciously move towards organic food, even if it is one cooking ingredient at a time.

Bon Organic appétit!