Source: PIB
Context:
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in collaboration with Nuernberg Messe India, is organising BIOFACH INDIA 2026 from 6–8 August 2026 at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR — a platform for trade, knowledge exchange and business networking across the organic, natural and sustainable food sectors.
Key Features
- 200+ exhibitors, including 60+ under APEDA Pavilion — exporters, women entrepreneurs, FPOs/FPCs, startups and organic enterprises.
- Organic products: cereals, pulses, millets, spices, tea, coffee, fruits, vegetables, processed foods, medicinal plants, honey, edible oils and nutraceuticals.
- 35+ international buyers from 13 countries, including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Egypt, through Buyer-Seller Meets.
- Technical sessions on organic certification, traceability, sustainability, market access and international quality standards.
About APEDA
- Established under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985, functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry; headquartered in New Delhi.
- Mandated to develop and promote exports of scheduled products — fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, confectionery, cereals, floriculture, herbal and medicinal plants, and organic products.
- Note: basmati rice is under APEDA; spices are handled by the Spices Board, tea by the Tea Board, coffee by the Coffee Board, and marine products by MPEDA.
- APEDA is the National Accreditation Body under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
Background: India’s Organic Ecosystem
Certification systems
| System | Scope |
|---|---|
| NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production) | Third-party certification for exports; implemented by APEDA; recognised as equivalent by the EU, Switzerland and others |
| PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System) | Peer-appraisal-based certification for domestic markets and small farmers; under the Ministry of Agriculture |
| Jaivik Bharat | The unified organic logo of FSSAI, which regulates organic food sold domestically |
- Supporting schemes: the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) — the latter explaining the strong North-East presence at the event, and why the DoNER Secretary was Chief Guest.
- India’s position: the country has the largest number of organic producers in the world, though a relatively modest share of global organic area. Sikkim is the world’s first fully organic State (2016). Major organic exports include organic soybean, rice, oilseeds, cereals, millets, medicinal plants, tea, spices and processed foods, with the United States and European Union as principal destinations.
- IFOAM – Organics International is the global umbrella body for the organic movement, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany.
