Go organic: Sustainable marketing goals – Chandigarh organic market

Authors

Dr. Chidanand Patil, Assistant Professor
Department of Applied Agriculture, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India.
Ms. Aarti Rishi
Management Trainee, Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited, Chandigarh, India.
Dr. Shivam Sakshi, Postdoctoral Associate
Economics and Social Science, IIM Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Dr. Chaitra G. B, Former Assistant Professor
Department of Management and Commerce, Malwa College, Bathinda, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India.

Abstract

The demand for organic food products is multiplying gradually across Punjab. The green revolution has definitely solved the world‟s hunger problem by boosting the agricultural production but it did not take long for people of Punjab to realize the adverse effects they have to face due to the extensive utilization of such chemicals which are strictly banned in many nations for their adverse effects. The life-annihilating chemicals that are being sprinkled into crops are classified into class one by the World Health Organization, which are the most toxic and banned in most of the countries (The Guardian on July 1, 2019). The only way to address this catastrophe is to change the food consumption habits. Shifting to organic food could not only reduce the risk of cancer but can also improve the overall health conditions. In August 2015 with the realization of Mrs. Raman Mann, a farmer and an activist has realized that the marketing is the major issue in organic food space and the production is not a pinnacle to work on. She then decided to establish a sustainable market, “a market which only sounded hypothetical in organic food space back in 2015” she recollected. She envisioned a market which is consumer oriented, environment friendly and farmer led. In organic food business the marketer is most of the times highly vulnerable to many external factors. The major drawback is the premium price a customer has to pay. As no chemicals are used in the organic food production the yield is comparatively lesser than that of chemical fed production practices which makes the farmer/marketer/seller to charge a premium price for their produce.