APEDA revises NPOP`s regulations to help India achieve $2 billion exports target for organic food products by 2030
The commerce ministry's arm Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has revised the National Programme for Organic Production’s (NPOP) regulations to make it more farmer-friendly and help India achieve $2 billion exports target for organic food products by 2030. The NPOP provides standards for organic production and procedure for accreditation of Certification Bodies.
The standards and procedures have been formulated in harmony with other International Standards regulating the import and export of organic products. During April-November this fiscal, these exports rose by about 40 per cent to $456 million. It was $495 million in 2023-24. The ministry is aiming to increase the outbound shipments to $2 billion by 2030.
The NPOP is the primary organic regulatory standard of the Country, it is accepted by the importing countries and has been a key driver for market access of organic products. The NPOP standards for crop production have been recognised by the European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country's standards and are also accepted by Great Britain. APEDA has been designated as the secretariat for the implementation of the NPOP and regulatory oversight over the operations of the certification bodies. It was last revised in 2014.