Pitching organic food as the way ahead for healthy living
The eighth edition of “BIOFACH India together with INDIA ORGANIC 2016” was inaugurated this week at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla. Present at the inauguration were Rani Kumudini, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India while other eminent dignitaries present at the inauguration included Mr Sompal, Ex Member Planning Commission, Ministry of State – Agriculture, Government of India, Markus Arbenz, Executive Director, IFOAM organics International, Markus Reetz, Executive Director, International Exhibitions, Nurnberg Messe, Sonia Prashar, Managing Director, NuernbergMesse India & Manoj Kumar Menon, Executive Director, ICCOA.
The three-day exhibition which happened for the first time in New Delhi opened on a very positive note with both industry as well as consumers flocking the venue, eager to know more about the organic products. “We are targeting business enquiries worth Rs100 crore and more”, said Sonia Prashar, Managing Director, NuernbergMesse India & Manoj Kumar Menon, Executive Director, ICCOA. A niche and exclusive International trade show on organic products in India that had a strict certification criteria thereby ensuring the quality of the products on display, was organized by NuernbergMesse
With the rise in awareness of healthy food in Metropolitan cities, organic food is no longer just a Fad! The demand for Organic foods es- pecially Fruits & Vegetables have intensified in big cities in the past few years. The rise in health consciousness, changing lifestyles, mounting disposable spending and growing availability of organic food products in shopping malls and retail shops makes the Metros as the focal point. Sonia Prashar, Managing Director, NuernbergMesse India reiterated the growing importance of Organic products by saying, “Our priorities revolve around organic growth and our focus is on growing our existing platform. The increasing number of reliable and healthy options in the market have given us an opportunity to nurture the increasing demand. We are elated to bring BIOFACH India together with INDIA ORGANIC to our own city for the first time.”
The growing organic trend with people adopting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle has seen organic products becoming more acceptable and popular. The market is growing at a healthy rate. In the last five years, the shelf space of such products in metros has tripled. This is enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities and prodding retailers to offer more to the consumers. The multi-fold growth in the number of organic stores and brands across the capital, with increase in government initiatives to enhance the production and consumption of such products has only encouraged the capital to host the next Organic World Con- gress in 2017. The main idea is to expose the global organic farming movement to the tremendous expansion of organic farming that has taken place in India, especially Delhi in the past decade. Going by IFOAM statistics, India hosts the largest number of organic farmers in the world.
“ICCOA, with its grassroot experiences has realised that organic farming is sustainable to the farmer only if market linkages are developed. Adoption and certification is only the first step. Links with businesses to sell organic produce at a premium and consistent buying support is essential to keep the farmer motivated. With the growing demand from metropolitan cities, shifting our venue from one of the largest producers, Kerala, to a consistently growing consumer, New Delhi – our next venue for the show, is ready to welcome our stakeholders with open arms,” said, Manoj Kumar Menon, Executive Director ICCOA.
This edition of BIOFACH INDIA together with INDIA ORGANIC showcased participation by more than 150 companies from India and all over the world, displaying a wide range of organic products. There was a buyer-seller meeting organised onsite international buyers from Europe, US, Middle East and Asia meet, as to extend their network and develop new procurement sources. Last year the B2B records show that business worth 570 million was generated.
Leading private organic stakeholders such as Nature Bio-Foods Ltd., Brahm Arpan, MRT Organics, Suminter Organics, 24 Letter Mantra, Phalada Agro, Just Organik, Radico, Mehrotra Consumer Products, Agronic Food, Sarveshwar foods, Natureland Organic, Cultivator Natural Products, Amaara Food & Wellness, Terra Greens and many more were present at the show displaying a wide diversity of organic products.
Besides food and beverage there also was an impressive participation from the Natural Care & Wellness sector, Organic Textiles Sector, Certification Bodies as well as participation by leading Government Boards like Tea Board, Coffee Board etc.
Among the international presence were big conglomerates like BIOAGRICOOP S.C.R.L from Italy who were looking at expanding their operation in the Indian market through active promotion of organic food like olive oil, tomato sauce, wines, pasta , coffee and many other products. While MK Enterprises from Japan was looking for options in India to introduce their Laundry Revolution from Japan, The Ultimate Detergent Alternative. The product saves time and money by not requiring frequent purchase of regular detergent, saving money by conserving power and water usage. And so on.
Concurrently with the exhibition, an International Conference was held to deliberate on the current practices / trends / challenges faced by the organic sector with eminent key National and International speakers from relevant industry. The international conference addressed the entire ecological value- added chain – from organic production to sales. In specialist presentations, case studies and best-practice examples, experts didn’t only provided information about current market developments and trends, but also on proven and sustainable cultivation methods on soil and nutrient management. In addition, the conference offered participants an optimal communication platform, enabling them to enter into an exchange with each other on sector-relevant themes.
Consumer Connect Program was aimed at creating awareness about organic products and its relevance to food safety, health and environment. Nutritionists, farmers, farming cooperatives, agricultural experts and doctors once again participated in a workshop explaining the advantages of organic agriculture and lifestyle through exciting presentations. The stakeholders that addressed also included school pupils and working moms. The aim was to get more organic food into India’s private kitchens and specifically answer the participants’ questions.
The growing organic trend with people adopting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle has seen organic products becoming more acceptable.