International Competence Centre For Organic Agriculture

International Competence Centre For Organic Agriculture (Iccoa): Reshaping India’s Organic Movement for Sustained Growth

Organic agriculture deserves an increased attention in today’s time. People have realized the fact that organic foods are essential for living a longer and healthier life. India’s organic farming is growing but is also facing challenges at different levels.

But how to sustain these agricultural practices? What government policies support such agriculture? How to prepare a framework that supports organic agriculture? When such questions arose, International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) came into being and has now serving the industry for more than 20 years. ICCOA is actively engaged with policymakers and regulatory bodies to advocate and popularize organic agriculture. Manoj Kumar Menon is the Executive Director and in conversation with our team, he shared many unexplored aspects of this Non-Profit organization.

“My inspiration stemmed from witnessing the transformative potential of organic farming in addressing critical issues like environmental degradation, soil health, and food security. The opportunity to contribute to such a pioneering organization—one that not only advocates for policy change but also empowers farmers, develops markets, and ensures quality through rigorous standards was both motivating and fulfilling. Being part of ICCOA means actively participating in a movement that is reshaping agriculture in India for a more sustainable future,”
Mr. Menon started off the conversation by sharing his inspiration behind the venture.

The Organization Profile

In addition to serving as an interface organization for the revolutionizing organic movement, ICCOA is a “knowledge and learning center” for all aspects of sustainable and organic agriculture.

In 2004, as the organic farming movement was just getting started in India, the organization established itself as an information and resource center for the organic sector. The society’s expansion over the years has coincided with the globally acknowledged India’s organic industry.

So far, the organiization’s reach has spanned 28 states in India where they have assisted 3.7 lakh farmers till date. Out of which 1.46 lakh hectares of land is also certified as organic. Not only this, they have helped established 268 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) with around 1.49 lakh farmers.

Internationally, ICCOA collaborates closely with reputed institutional bodies viz. FiBL in Switzerland, IFOAM Organics International in Germany, IFOAMAsia in South Korea/China, and Nurnberg Messe (BioFach). Through its joint venture with Nurnberg Messe, ICCOA successfully brought the BioFach fair to India, merging it with the India Organic Trade Fair in 2009. This partnership has made BioFach India the largest organic trade fair in the country, highlighting the growth of India’s organic sector.

About the core objectives

The objectives of the organization includes creating policy and advocacy for organic agriculture and agro-ecological farming. Their services help in building capacity for farmers and organizations alongside contributing to the development of the organic market to share safe and healthy food with the populations. Ensuring standards, quality assurance, and certifications, are all set for organic conversion projects.

Standing out in the domain

Not one but many aspects help ICCOA stand out. Mr Menon elucidated that despite being an NGO, the institution is a wellmanaged company with highly skilled staff from multiple disciplines. A duly elected Board of Directors guides its policy and directions. Every three years, the General Body’s 140+ members elect the Board of Directors, consisting of nine members.

Many dignitaries in the fields of development, agriculture, education, and social services comprise the ICCOA Board. The Executive Director (ED) is the chief functionary in terms of operations and managing the organization. Senior staff members support ED in a variety of areas, including projects, finance, human resources, new initiatives, and research and development. Across India ICCOA employs 415 employees, spread among 28 states. And, ICCOA is an equal opportunity organization with women actively handling key positions of responsibility.

ICCOA operates by integrating policy advocacy, capacity building, market development, quality assurance, and research into their business operations. This multifaceted strategy ensures that all critical elements are equally powerful for the growth and sustainability of organic farming.

Innovations to Revolutionize The Industry

Mr. Menon shared some of their flagship innovations they have adopted that are transforming the way the industry operates:

• Sustainable Biovillage Concept and Model which promotes sustainable rural development through organic farming. The initiative supports rural entrepreneurship, community involvement, and environmental sustainability. This will lead to improved livelihoods, enhanced soil health, and a sustainable food system.

• Su BhumI is a groundbreaking app for farm monitoring and advisory systems, digitizing data, overseeing activities, and providing relevant advice. It serves purposes like Data Collection Platform, Extension Provision Platform, and Training Module Library Platform

• Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) which connects farmer/FPOs to markets/buyers of good, safe, healthy food.

• Exchange Visit Programs where policymakers & experts visit the world’s leading organizations every year, from India to the EU/USA/Gulf and vice-versa.

The laurels

Many milestones signify the institution’s success. A few of the worthy mentions shared by Mr. Menon are as follows:

• The first “India Organic Trade Fair” was organised by ICCOA in 2005, creating a significant forum for the organic industry. Important participants in the event included key stakeholders such as the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF), APEDA, IFOAM, and the Government of Karnataka.

• The Indian Organic Service Centre (IOSC) was established with a Memorandum of Understanding between ICCOA and IFOAM in 2005.

• ICCOA began large-scale organic projects with state governments, starting with Nagaland in 2009. It became the first organization to conduct programs in all eight states of Northeast India and expanded its reach nationwide.

• ICCOA is empaneled Resource Institute (RI) by the Government of India to support the formation of Farmers Producer Companies (FPOs) in 2013. Over the past decade, ICCOA has helped create over 268 FPOs across 13 states.

• In order to provide instruction and demonstration for all facets of organic, sustainable farming methods, ICCOA established its own organic farm facility in 2015. Less than two hours’ drive from Central Bangalore is the “Jaivik Vigyan Kendra (JVK)” farm, a center for organic and sustainable farming, situated in Kollati village, Denkanikottai, Tamil Nadu. In addition to being a residential training center, JVK welcomes organic agrotourism visitors, including families on weekend getaways and businesses bringing staff members to experience wellness and simple living.

• Another landmark event in 2017, ICCOA as knowledge partner to Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (KSDA), Govt. of Karnataka, started the ‘Organics & Millets’ trade fair in Bangalore, which highlighted the significance of millets and contributed to the FAO’s declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

• ICCOA launched the “Jaivik India Awards” to recognize and honor contributions to organic farming in 2018.

• Recently, it also helped incorporate a multi-state FPO, called ‘Jaivik Avam Prakrutik Producer Company Ltd’ which brings together thousands of certified organic farmers and has started doing good business too.

The Future Outlook

Mr. Menon shared his plans for the future of the institution, “India’s organic agriculture sector is rapidly growing, with the country having the largest number of organic farmers, with 4.43 million. (Source: IFOAM-FiBL World of Organic Agriculture 2022 report). This expansion offers a unique opportunity to enhance food security, environmental sustainability, and economic prosperity.

The vision for 2024- 2034 is to scale up the impact by empowering more farmers, strengthen collaborations with key stakeholders, foster innovation through research in organic farming techniques, and build a robust market that ensures fair pricing and economic sustainability for organic producers, driving India towards global leadership in sustainable agriculture.

And for ICCOA as an organization, our vision is to take ICCOA’s services to other parts of Asia & Africa, to GCC countries to begin with. We wish to share the learning from India & EU to help develop Organic agriculture and markets across Asia & Africa.”

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