Mission and Goals

The Organic Farming Association of India has been formed with the following objectives:

  • To promote nature-friendly, scientific, farming systems and practices that are economically viable, energy efficient, climate friendly and oriented towards the conservation of the environment and the empowerment of rural communities, building upon indigenous and traditional knowledge, skills and practices. It will aim to help organize farm-households and families engaged in organic farming and connected activities into a recognizable entity that will effectively represent their interests at local, state, regional and national levels.
  • To enable farm-households engaged in organic farming to create the necessary infrastructure and facilities for them to select, save and exchange seeds and rootstock of various crops with each other in situ and ex situ;
  • To lobby with the State and Central Governments to install and follow policies geared towards the promotion of organic farming in India including the provision of subsidies, price support, markets, legislation on organic seed regulation, farmer driven certification and other related needs.
  • To lobby with the Food Processing Ministry and other concerned Government agencies in order to enable farming families to process, package and label organic produce and sell value added products within the law. To lobby specifically against GM seeds and GM farm inputs from being permitted for use within the Indian agricultural and food system including animal feeds.
  • To advocate in favour of courses on organic agriculture in agricultural and other related institutions and for these institutions to take up need based research and study on topics as identified by organic farming families (land to lab) and implement promotional activities in organic farming and sustainable lifestyles;
  • To work for the special educational needs of children from farm house-holds, the next generation of organic farmers. Such work will include networking among farming families, apprenticeship opportunities, workshops, enabling children from farm-households to have a special priority link with national open school, preparing a special organic farming programme within National Open School and other such opportunities;
  • To assist families engaged in transitional organic farming to access practical know-how from experienced families or farmers through various means such as organizing regional workshops on need-based themes as expressed by the transitional farming families.
  • To create awareness among all sections of consumers about the detriments of conventional chemical agriculture and consequences of the Green Revolution and the looming threat of the Gene Revolution and the benefits of organically produced foods.
  • To formalize and operate credible, scientific and publicly trusted systems for the recognition and registration of organic farms.
  • To work with other organic farming associations in India and internationally in order to strengthen the organic farming movement.
  • To undertake programmes that will increase farmers awareness of their rights; legal rights vis-à-vis right to protect organic character of an organic farm such as for e.g. air quality, water quality, etc.