NPOP, the National Programme for Organic Production, is India's national organic standard. It is run under APEDA by the Ministry of Commerce, and farms and processors are certified by accredited certification bodies.
It is not accepted on its own in the US: the USDA ended its recognition of NPOP in 2021, so US buyers need USDA NOP certification. In the EU, recognition has covered some product categories, but the scope has narrowed. Check the current position with your own control body before you buy.
How NPOP works
- Standard: NPOP sets the rules for organic production, processing, handling and labelling in India.
- Oversight: it is administered under APEDA, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
- Certification bodies: accredited bodies inspect and certify farms, grower groups, processors and exporters.
- Conversion: land must go through a conversion period before its crop can be sold as organic.
- Records: certified operators must keep records that trace each lot back to certified land.
The United States
Until 2021, organic goods certified under NPOP could be sold as organic in the US through a recognition arrangement. The USDA ended that recognition in 2021. Since then, Indian organic products for the US need certification to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) directly, by a certifier accredited for NOP.
So if you sell in the US, ask for the supplier's NOP certificate, not their NPOP certificate, and check it in the USDA's own records. A supplier may hold both. Check that the certificate you are given is the one that covers the goods on your invoice.
The European Union
The EU has recognised NPOP for some product categories. That scope has narrowed over time, and certain Indian certification bodies have faced EU action, which affected the goods they certified. Every organic import into the EU also needs a certificate of inspection (COI), issued through the EU TRACES system.
Because the EU's position on Indian organic imports has changed and may change again, do not rely on a past arrangement. Ask your own EU control body or certifier which product categories and certification bodies are currently accepted, before you sign a contract.
What this means when you buy
In practice, the certificate has to fit the market you sell into, not just the country you buy from. For the wider picture, see our articles on conventional versus organic products from India and how to source certified organic products. The main checks are:
- Match the certificate to your market: NOP for the US, an EU-accepted route for the EU, and local rules elsewhere.
- Check the certification body as well as the supplier, since its standing affects your goods.
- Confirm the product and activity are in the certificate's scope.
- Plan the shipment paperwork, such as the EU COI, before the goods leave India.
- Keep testing: organic certification does not replace residue, ETO, microbiology or mycotoxin tests.
- Recheck before each season, since recognition, scope and a certifier's standing can all change between contracts.
How we help
We check which certificates a supplier holds, confirm scope and validity with the issuing body, and line up shipment paperwork with your market's rules. For help with an organic order, ask for a free sourcing review.