Organic food traders from India and the European Union are bullish on the recently announced free trade agreement, saying it will expand market access on both sides and create significant opportunities for the sector.
About 2,200 players from the sustainable food sector, including over 100 from India, are exhibiting their products at the four-day BIOFACH 2026, which is the world's leading trade fair for organic food, at the Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg.
The fair comes at an opportune time with India and the 27-nation European Union announcing the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement on January 27 after nearly two decades of talks. It is likely to be signed and implemented in about a year.
According to experts from the organic food sector, the agreement opens up US $60 billion worth of opportunities for Indian organic product exporters in the EU. The agreement also provides a market of 140 crore consumers to the EU countries. Under the pact, both sides will eliminate and reduce import duties on hundreds of goods to promote bilateral trade.
“The sector has huge opportunities for both sides,” Chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Abhishek Dev said. India marked a significant presence as the “Country of the Year” at the BIOFACH. The APEDA, under the commerce ministry, is organising India's participation at the fair, highlighting the country's rich agricultural heritage and its growing stature as a reliable global supplier of organic products.
Trade visitors are being provided insights into Indian organic products, value creation models and partnership opportunities, he said. India's organic food exports in 2024-25 was USD 667 million. The India Country Pavilion was inaugurated by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in the presence of Manipur's Additional Chief Secretary Vivek Dewangan, Minister (Personnel), Embassy of India, Berlin, Mandeep Singh Tuli, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Raman Kumar.
Companies participating in the fair, ranging from organic juice and snack makers to grain producers and non-alcoholic beverage firms, said in one voice that the pact will help boost trade in the segment. Several firms from regions like France are aggressively looking for local partners in India to sell their goods. “If demand increases in India, we can start manufacturing there,” a snack maker said.
However, both the regions have to work on the certification issues which are creating a problem at present in exporting goods, Nagendra Kumar H, CEO and Co-Founder Rajamudi, said. The Karnataka-based firm is engaged in the business of organic sites, herbs and grains.
“The FTA will help in increasing exports to the EU, but the government has to work on resolving the compliance burden issues of exporters in the EU. We can cater to the demand of the Indian diaspora in the EU,” Kumar said, adding that his company is exporting to Ireland, Germany and Netherlands.
Maharashtra-based organic fruits juice maker RUS Organic Founder Ujvala said there is a huge demand in Europe for such products. “At present, we are exporting to Israel and Dubai. We are looking to raise Rs 3 crore for further expansion. I have already spent about Rs 20 crore so far. We want to double our capacity from the current four lakh bottles per month,” Ujvala said. The startup firm, which started operations in 2019, is sourcing fruits from different states of India.
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