Understanding India’s National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)

India’s organic farming sector has grown remarkably over the past two decades, and a big reason behind this growth is a structured government programme that sets the rules for how organic products are grown, certified, and exported. That programme is the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). Whether you’re a farmer looking to go organic, a student studying agricultural policy, or simply someone curious about what the “India Organic” label on your food package means, understanding NPOP is essential.

What is the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)? 🔗

The NPOP was launched in 2001 by the Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Its primary purpose is to provide a systematic framework for the development of organic agriculture in the country. The programme is implemented by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which acts as its secretariat.

At its core, NPOP does three things: it defines national standards for organic production (called the National Standards for Organic Production, or NSOP), it sets up a system for accrediting certification bodies that verify whether farms and products meet those standards, and it establishes the “India Organic” logo – the official seal that appears on certified organic products originating from India.

The programme covers a wide range of agricultural activities. This includes not just crop and horticulture products, but also livestock and poultry, aquaculture, apiculture (beekeeping), mushroom production, and even greenhouse crop production. In short, if it’s agricultural and organic, NPOP likely has standards for it.

Key objectives of NPOP 🔗

NPOP was designed with several clear goals in mind. First, it provides a means of evaluating certification programmes for organic agriculture – including wild harvest, aquaculture, and livestock products. Second, it accredits certification bodies that want to certify organic operators in India. Third, it facilitates certification in line with both Indian national standards and the organic standards of importing countries, based on equivalence agreements. Finally, it promotes organic farming and marketing, both domestically and internationally.

These objectives work together to create a system where Indian organic products are credible, traceable, and accepted in global markets – a critical factor for a country that exports organic goods to over a dozen countries worldwide.

How the NPOP institutional structure works 🔗

NPOP operates through a well-defined institutional hierarchy. At the top is the Department of Commerce, which acts as the apex body. Below it sits the National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by the Commerce Secretary. The NSC reviews the functioning of NPOP at least once a year and takes policy decisions related to its implementation.

Next comes the National Accreditation Body (NAB), chaired by the Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce. The NAB is responsible for accrediting certification bodies that apply to certify organic operators. APEDA serves as the secretariat for the NAB and handles day-to-day operational matters, including evaluation, monitoring, and enforcement.

Under this system, accredited certification bodies (CBs) are the ones that actually go to farms, conduct inspections, and issue organic certificates. As of 2025, there are 37 active certification bodies operating in India, including 14 state-level bodies. These CBs certify individual operators, grower groups, processors, traders, and exporters.

National Standards for Organic Production (NSOP) 🔗

The backbone of NPOP is its set of national organic standards, called the NSOP. These standards define what qualifies as organic in India. They cover everything from crop production planning and nutrient management to conversion requirements, pest and disease management, and post-harvest handling.

A key requirement under these standards is the conversion period. If a farm has been using chemical inputs, it must go through a transition phase – typically 2 to 3 years – before its produce can be sold as certified organic. During this period, the farm follows organic practices, but its products can only be labelled as “in-conversion” and cannot carry the India Organic logo.

The standards also mandate that organic farming must be done without synthetic fertilisers, chemical pesticides, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Instead, farmers rely on organic inputs like compost, biofertilisers, and biocontrol agents. The goal is to maintain soil health, protect biodiversity, and produce food that is free from harmful chemical residues.

Scope of NSOP 🔗

The NSOP applies broadly – covering organic crops and horticulture products, livestock and poultry, beekeeping, aquaculture, and processed products. For exports, compliance with NPOP standards is mandatory. No agricultural product can be exported from India as organic unless it is certified by an NPOP-accredited certification body.

The “India Organic” logo and the unified branding 🔗

One of the most recognisable outcomes of NPOP is the “India Organic” logo. This logo serves as a seal on all certified organic products, identifying them as organically produced and originating from India. For consumers, it is a quick visual indicator that a product meets the national organic standards.

In 2024, FSSAI and APEDA took an important step by introducing the “Unified India Organic” logo, replacing the earlier separate logos – “India Organic” (for NPOP-certified products) and “Jaivik Bharat” (for PGS-certified products). This unified branding aims to simplify organic labelling and make it easier for consumers to identify genuine organic food, regardless of which certification pathway was used.

The certification process under NPOP 🔗

Getting organic certification under NPOP involves a structured, multi-step process. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Choose a certification body. The farmer, processor, or exporter selects an APEDA-accredited certification body to oversee the certification.

Step 2: Application and documentation. The operator submits an application along with details of their farming practices, crop plans, input usage records, and land history.

Step 3: On-site inspection. The certification body sends an inspector to the farm or processing facility to verify compliance with NSOP standards. This includes checking soil management, input usage, record-keeping, and buffer zones.

Step 4: Evaluation and certification. If the operator meets the required standards, the certification body issues an organic certificate. The NPOP certification is valid for three years, but annual surveillance audits are conducted to ensure continued compliance.

Step 5: For grower groups. Small and marginal farmers can certify collectively through the Internal Control System (ICS) – a grower group model introduced in 2005. Under this system, the group maintains an internal inspection mechanism, and the certification body audits a sample of the group’s members each year.

Accreditation fees 🔗

For certification bodies seeking accreditation under NPOP, the initial application fee is ₹15,000. Renewal costs ₹10,000 for a three-year period. These fees are deposited with APEDA. If accreditation is not approved, 75% of the fee is refunded.

TraceNet: the digital traceability backbone 🔗

TraceNet is one of the most important tools in the NPOP ecosystem. It is an internet-based traceability system developed by APEDA that tracks certified organic products through the entire supply chain – from farm to export. Certification bodies, producer groups, and operators enter data into TraceNet, which then generates scope certificates and transaction certificates with unique verifiable codes.

In January 2025, the government launched TraceNet 2.0 alongside the 8th edition of NPOP. This upgraded version offers enhanced tools for regulatory oversight, streamlined operations for organic stakeholders, and better transparency in the organic supply chain. The Union Commerce Minister stated at the launch that TraceNet 2.0 would reduce application costs and simplify procedures, especially for small farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

International recognition and equivalence agreements 🔗

One of NPOP’s biggest achievements is its international recognition. The European Commission and Switzerland have recognised NPOP standards for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their own organic standards. This means Indian organic products certified under NPOP are directly accepted in EU and Swiss markets without needing additional certification.

NPOP also had a conformity assessment recognition agreement with the USDA for the US National Organic Program. However, following changes in US policy, operations in India exporting to the US now typically need dual certification – under both NPOP and NOP – through a USDA-accredited certification agency.

APEDA is also working towards bilateral equivalence arrangements with countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, and Japan to further expand market access for Indian organic products.

India’s organic production: the numbers 🔗

The scale of organic farming in India under NPOP has grown enormously since 2001. The certified area has expanded from about 42,000 hectares in 2003-04 to approximately 7.3 million hectares (as of FY 2023-24), which includes cultivated land and wild harvest collection areas.

India produced around 3.6 million metric tonnes of certified organic products in FY 2023-24. The product range is diverse: oilseeds, fibre crops, sugarcane, cereals and millets, pulses, spices, tea, coffee, fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, and processed foods. India is also a global leader in organic cotton production.

In terms of geography, Madhya Pradesh leads in organic cultivation area, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Odisha. India ranks second globally in organic agricultural land and first in the total number of organic producers, with over 2.3 million farmers.

Organic exports 🔗

India’s organic food exports have been growing steadily. During 2022-23, the country exported approximately 3.13 lakh metric tonnes of organic products, valued at around ₹5,525 crore. Major export destinations include the USA, European Union, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and several Asian markets. The government has set an ambitious target of reaching ₹20,000 crore in organic exports within the next few years.

NPOP and Agri Export Zones 🔗

NPOP works closely with the concept of Agri Export Zones (AEZs) to boost organic exports. AEZs are designated regions where specific agricultural products are identified for export promotion. By linking NPOP-certified organic clusters with AEZ infrastructure – including cold chains, packaging facilities, and quality testing labs – the government aims to create end-to-end export ecosystems that make it easier for farmers and FPOs to access international markets.

This integration helps bridge the gap between small organic farmers and global supply chains, which is often one of the biggest challenges in organic trade.

The 8th edition of NPOP: what changed in 2025 🔗

The 8th edition of NPOP, launched in January 2025, represents the most significant update to the programme in recent years. Key changes and new initiatives include:

Five new digital platforms were introduced – the NPOP Portal, an Organic Promotion Portal (where farmers and FPOs can showcase products and connect with global buyers), TraceNet 2.0, a redesigned APEDA Portal, and the AgriXchange Portal for real-time trade data and market intelligence.

Grower groups received legal recognition, making it easier for small and marginal farmers to certify collectively. The conversion period was also shortened for land with no recent history of chemical treatment. These reforms are designed to reduce costs, simplify processes, and bring more farmers into the organic certification fold.

Challenges and the road ahead 🔗

Despite its success, NPOP faces some ongoing challenges. Certification costs remain a barrier for many small farmers, even with the grower group model. The conversion period of 2-3 years can be financially difficult for farmers making the switch from conventional farming. There are also concerns about the capacity of certification bodies to handle the growing number of operators, and about ensuring that internal inspections within grower groups are rigorous enough to prevent fraud.

On the market side, the domestic organic market in India is still developing. While export demand is strong, creating better domestic market linkages – through dedicated organic marketplaces, e-commerce platforms, and stronger FPO networks – remains a priority.

Looking ahead, continued investment in digital infrastructure (like TraceNet 2.0), expanding international equivalence agreements, and supporting farmers through the transition period will be key to sustaining the momentum NPOP has built over more than two decades.

What do you think? With India already having the world’s largest number of organic farmers, what do you believe is the biggest bottleneck – certification costs, market access, or awareness – preventing organic farming from scaling even further? And could digital tools like TraceNet 2.0 be the game-changer that finally simplifies organic certification for small farmers?

References

1. https://jaivikbharat.fssai.gov.in/standard-npop.php
2. https://apeda.gov.in/national-programme-for-organic-production-npop
3. https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/national-programme-for-organic-production-npop/
4. https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/org_farm/pdf/NPOP%208th%20Edition%20.pdf
5. https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/8th-edition-of-the-national-programme-for-organic-production
6. https://certificationinindia.com/the-npop-national-programme-for-organic-production-certificate/
7. https://apeda.gov.in/tracenet
8. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2091601
9. https://nconf.dac.gov.in/ThirdPartyCertification-NPOP
10. https://apeda.gov.in/OrganicProducts