Growing the Indian Organic & Fairtrade Market - Phalada Agro at Biofach

Vijayalakshimi Rajesh is a determined woman.

Under her leadership, Phalada Agro has grown from helping organic farmers improve soil fertility to an international supplier of high-quality Indian organic products.

Fairtrade producers are benefitting from Phalada’s success. Seeing the international demand for Fairtrade certified spices, Vijayalakshimi started sourcing from Fairtrade producers in South India. “In the first year, we sold 1500kg of Fairtrade vanilla to the US alone”, Vijayalakshimi tells me proudly.

Rainwater harvesting to conserve water resources, sheds for drying spices to ensure better quality, and a school for a local orphanage are just some of the projects Phalada has introduced – partly funded by the Fairtrade Premium.

Now Phalada is also exporting to European markets. Vijayalakshimi also plans to add new product lines, such as coffee in 2012 – and get more of the farmers she works with Fairtrade certified.

But it’s not just the international market that’s of interest to Vijayalakshimi . India was “Country of the Year” at this year’s Biofach trade fair - a sign of India’s growing recognition as a supplier, and consumer, of organic goods. Phalada has now launched a range of organic herbs and spices for the Indian market too. So are Indian consumers also interested in Fairtrade products? When I ask Vijayalakshimi  she doesn’t seem so sure that the moment has come - yet. But one thing is certain: once the time is right she will certainly seize the opportunity.