Spices and Condiments (1+1)

World demand for organic foods

• The world demand for organically produced foods is growing rapidly in developed countries in Europe, in the USA, Japan and Australia. The current estimated share of organic foods in these countries is approximately 1 to 1.5 per cent which is expected to increase to 10 per cent in the next couple of pentinniums. The market size of organic spices in the US is 30,000 tonnes, Europe 21,000 and Japan 6,000.
• The worldwide food trends are changing with a marked health orientation. Since organic foods are free from chemical contaminants, the demand for these products should steadily increase in the new millennium. According to the ITC, UNCTAD/GATT, more than a 130 countries produce certified organic foods. Many of them are from Asia and Africa. Internationally, there is a definite shift towards traditional/ethnic medicines. Since spices form part of many of these medicines, the demand for organically produced spices should grow.
• Organic cultivation is nothing new to India. The country has always been practising the traditional ways of using indigenous technologies and inputs, mostly in line with modern organic farming principles. The per capita consumption of fertilisers and pesticides in India is far below that of the other developed countries. This means that it is very easy for Indian farmers to embrace organic spice farming in its true sense.The Spices Board, India, has taken a major initiative in promoting the production and export of organic spices on a large scale.