View of FUTURE OF ORGANIC FOOD INDUSTRY POST COVID-19 IN INDIA

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ACCENT JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS ECOLOGY & ENGINEERING Peer Reviewed and Refereed Journal, ISSN NO. 2456-1037

Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE

Vol. 06, Issue 03, March 2021 IMPACT FACTOR: 7.98 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL) 33 FUTURE OF ORGANIC FOOD INDUSTRY POST COVID-19 IN INDIA

Dr. Madhuri Puranik Assistant Professor (Commerce)

P.M.B. Gujarati Commerce College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract:- Healthy lifestyle is a need of present environment. Now a days people are very much concern for their health. COVID-19 is raising consumer awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health. The issue of healthy lifestyle is very serious due to Corona Pandemic. This has resulted in a high interest in organic products. Healthy people have good immune system which help them to fight with diseases. The people who have weak immune system, they come easily in the contact of various diseases. Organic foods are viewed as being healthier and safer than conventional alternatives.

Keywords: Urbanization, Health, Life Style, Organic food, Environment, Diseases, Covid- 19.

1. INTRODUCTION

Organic foods are minimally processed to maintain the integrity of the food without using artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation. Organic products are attained by the environmental and animal friendly processes, by cultivation techniques that consider both the attributes of the final product and the production methods. All organic food consumers are not having the same method of approach towards organic food.

The Definition of the word “Organic”, an ecological management production system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.

It is based on the minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance “ecological harmony” (National Standards Board of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Organic crops are grown without the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic products are safe and healthy. Dangerous levels of pesticides are not found in crops grown using the organic method. People who consume such foods on a continued basis have good immune system and will not have risk of developing health problems like cancer, infections etc. By moving towards to organic foods people can reduce their risk for bad health, cancer and other diseases to a great extent. Many recent researches have studied about the awareness and consumption of Organic Food products and found that it is significantly higher in developed countries than developing ones.

In countries like India, where organic food

markets are still in the blossoming phase of its growth.

2. CHARACTERSTICS OF ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS

1) Healthy- Today consumers choose to buy or eat organic products, they should be able to have confidence that organic food is more nutritious than ordinary produce and it may help to lengthen people’s lives and prevent disease.

2) Certified- Organic products meet stringent standards. The tastes of Organic food are great. It also reduces health risks. It also made healthy soil & utilizes the water recourses. It also works in synchronization with nature and does advanced research. The production process helps to keep rural community healthy.

3) High Quality- According to the study of European Union “organic vegetables & fruits having antioxidants quality and also help to reduce cancer and heart disease risk”. Organic food also help to improve digestive system, better sleeping habits. It is also less likely to be overweight than eating conventional food.

4) Environment and Animal Friendly- Organic foods are also tastier and pure than conventional food. No use of synthetics such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, make the environment safe and clean which is also good for the animals.

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Vol. 06, Issue 03, March 2021 IMPACT FACTOR: 7.98 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL) 34 5) Chemical Free- Organic food are

pesticide and chemical free. They also produce less waste. In conventional food production, more use of chemical, fertilizers and pesticides are the reason of the long term damage to the land and make the land less fertile, which is less in organic food production.

6) High Nutritional Value- As Organic products are grown without using pesticides and chemicals. The nutritional value is high as compared to the normal products which is also good for health.

3. ORGANIC FOOD IN INDIA

Organic farming is very popular in India since ancient times. India has lot of potential in this field. Organic food production is based on the high quality, more quantity and without any harm to soil fertilization, environment and animals. A major pandemic Corona Virus observed worldwide, is the growing concern over health risk. Due to Pandemic Covid-19, people are more concerned towards healthy lifestyle of the people, the demand of organic food products has been increased. Growing organically results in clean, good and healthy products. The high awareness about health and environmental issues during this Corona Pandemic-19 made people more alert towards the consumption of the food. Now people are more careful towards the eating habits and products which they are using.

However, a major conversion of conventional agriculture to organic agriculture will depend on several reasons-first and foremost being whether the consumers are interested in organic foods, and whether they are willing to pay price premiums for these goods. A very interesting and a highly lucrative potential market exists in the country itself and there is an urgent need to explore the current organic market and assess its growth potential.

4. GROWTH OF INDIAN ORGANIC MARKET IN WORLD

1) As per the available statistics, India’s rank in terms of World’s Organic Agricultural land was 9th

and in terms of total number of producers was 1st as per 2018 data (Source: FIBL & IFOAM Year Book 2018).

2) As on 31st March 2018, total area under organic certification process (registered under National Programme for Organic Production) is 3.56 million Hectare (2017-18). This includes 1.78 million ha (50%) cultivable area and another 1.78 million Hectare (50%) for wild harvest collection.

3) India produced around 1.70 million MT (2017-18) of certified organic products which has all types of food products namely Oil Seeds, Sugar cane, Cereals &

Millets, Cotton, Pulses, Medicinal Plants, Tea, Fruits, Spices, Dry Fruits, Vegetables, Coffee etc. the assembly isn't limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton fibre, functional food products etc.

4) The total volume of export during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh MT. The organic food export realization was around INR 3453.48 crore (515.44 million USD). 5) The total volume of export during 2018-19 was 6.14 lakh MT. The organic food export realization was around INR 3453.48 crore (515.44 million USD).

5. EXPECTED GROWTH OF ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS IN INDIA

The organic food industry began to boom a decade ago and there has been no looking back ever since then. Rising consciousness amongst people about the side effects of artificial chemicals in food production has further boosted the expansion of organic food in recent years.

Given the sort of innovation including this rising demand, organic food industry is yet to witness a full-fledged evolution. But one can safely assume that the organic food sector is here to remain. Growth in e- commerce has acted sort of a catalyst for the industry to achieve bent on consumers, and also the numbers are only showing an upward trend since 2013.

Here are some probable reason why the organic food industry is

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Vol. 06, Issue 03, March 2021 IMPACT FACTOR: 7.98 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL) 35 anticipated to determine an accelerated

demand in years to come back.

1. Increase in demand- The demand for organic food products are increasing rapidly special in metro cities. because the metro cities are more populated andpolluted as compare to rural areas. those that live in metro cities are earning well. because of the approach to life of individuals in changing scenario they're moving towards organic food. it's increasing demand of organic food products.

2. Digital Literacy and E-commerce Facilitation-Due to the good or high usage of smart-phone in India, including low-cost internet, there has been a rise in access to information about organic food.

Added with this, e-commerce platforms acted sort of a facilitator reaching bent on potential customers across the country. this can be the explanation why the expansion of organic food was initially harnessed by Tier I cities, but the industry eventually reached bent on potential customers in Tier II and Tier III cities. E-commerce platforms also made the world competitive with more and more players stepping into the organic food industry.

Experts are predicting an increased penetration of organic food into Tier II and III cities within the years to come back, resulting in demand for organic food at a continually increased rate.

3. Insignificant price difference-The price difference between organic and no -organic food is insignificant; in comparison to the health benefits carried by organic food. While organic food can be priced higher by some pennies, it prevents the body from the needless intake of pesticides and fertilizers. Number of benefits are more as compared to non organic food. This further cuts down the chance of health hazards and unnecessary medical expenses within the longer run.

4. Indian government supporting organic food industry-The Indian

government is supporting and promoting organic farming by extending financial help to farmers adopting organic farming. Various government schemes like Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) are implemented to market the world.

GOI also implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) which involves accreditation programme for certification bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming etc.

5. Increase in export-The demand for Indian organic food has not only witnessed a gradual rise in India but it's receiving appreciation on a world platform. Because of India's favorable agriculture weather conditions including the inherited tradition of organic farming, the standard of organic food to export is incredibly high. As per reports, the demand for Indian organic food is on the constant increase worldwide; India exported organic products worth $515 million within the fiscal year 2017-18. The export trend will increase within the next five years.

6. CONCLUSION

A good health is a primary concern for everyone. People are always very much concerned for their health but due to Pandemic Covid-19, they are more conscious for their health. The current growth in the organic food market is driven by rising health consciousness, changing lifestyles, mounting disposable spending and growing availability of organic food products in shopping malls and retail outlets. It will increase the demand of organic food products as they are beneficial for everyone. More growth is expected in future as the government is increasingly supporting organic farming.

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WEBSITES

1. www.agrifarming.in

2. www.agropedia.iitk.ac.in/content/organicfa rming.india

3. https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in 4. www.enwikipedia.org/wiki/consumer_beha

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