‘Demeter International’ explores Odisha’s potential in organic farming
By Payal Banerjee
Bhubaneswar, May 20: In a significant boost to Odisha’s organic farming ambitions, a high-level team from Demeter International — the globally acclaimed super brand for organic products — along with the Bio Dynamic Farming Association of India (BDAI), Bangalore, visited the state from May 16 to 18, 2025. The visit aimed at assessing the potential of scaling up biodynamic organic farming practices in Odisha and supporting farmers to tap into the rapidly growing global organic market.
During their three-day tour, the delegation held extensive discussions with senior officials of the state Agriculture Department, academicians from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), and engaged in interactive sessions with hundreds of stakeholders, including farmer producer organisations (FPOs), start-ups, NGOs, agri-preneurs, and policy experts.
Massive Training Initiative Planned
Following the visit, Mr. Anbu Periaswamy, a key leader from BDAI Bangalore, and Prof. Prafulla Kumar Dhal, Odisha State Coordinator for BDAI, announced an ambitious plan to launch a series of farmer training programmes across the state.
“To help Odisha’s farmers benefit from the booming organic markets in India and abroad, BDAI will conduct over a hundred biodynamic organic farming training sessions in the next two years. This will be the first step toward converting farmlands into certified organic zones,” they said.
The initiative will also focus on driving investments, developing marketing opportunities, and creating infrastructure to build farmer confidence in sustainable, organic farming systems.
Proposal for State-Level Organic Resource Centre
One of the key outcomes of the visit was a stakeholders’ interaction session chaired by Odisha’s former Chief Secretary, Mr. Bijay Kumar Patnaik, IAS. The session mooted the formation of a dedicated state-level agency, the Odisha State Organic Resource Centre (OSORC), envisioned as a nodal body for coordination, strategic research, capacity building, and implementation of organic farming initiatives in partnership with BDAI.
Experts during the meeting observed that while the global and domestic demand for organic food products is witnessing unprecedented growth, Odisha’s farmers are yet to fully leverage the opportunity due to an underdeveloped organic farming ecosystem in the state.
As per the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India’s organic food exports grew by 37% in 2024, surpassing the projected target of 25% growth from 2023. However, Odisha continues to lag behind other Indian states in this sector.
A Collective Effort for a Green Future
The programme was facilitated by Prof. Prafulla Kumar Dhal, an eminent environmentalist and social transformation strategist from Odisha, with active support from SWORD Bhubaneswar, SELCO Foundation, OUAT, Analytic Trust Bhubaneswar, and BDAI Bangalore.
Prominent delegates who participated in the deliberations included Dr. Abha Mishra, Dr. Ambika Nanda, Mr. Kamal Sahu, Prof. A.N. Mishra (Head, Agricultural Economics, OUAT), Mr. Nimai Swain (Dean, Agriculture, OUAT), Mr. Saubhagya Bhuyan (SWORD), Mr. Gautam Pradhan (SELCO Foundation), Mr. Deepak Sahu (Kanak Green Deal), Mr. Dilip K. Ray, and over 40 experts from various sectors.
The visit marks a significant milestone in Odisha’s journey towards adopting environmentally friendly, health-conscious, and globally marketable organic farming practices — promising both economic prosperity and ecological sustainability for the state’s agrarian community.
