India to reduce farm workforce, boost organic farming
India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal thinks it's time to make farming smarter and less crowded.
Speaking at Biofach 2026 in Germany, he said, "We want to make it efficient and reduce dependence on the number of people engaged in agriculture."
Why Agrawal is talking about reducing farmers
Right now, over 500 million Indians work on farms—yet only about 3% of the land is organic. That's a tiny slice for such a huge workforce.
Agrawal believes shifting more land (and effort) toward organic farming could boost efficiency and open up new opportunities.
India seeks to expand organic sector
Even with limited organic farmland, the source does not provide figures for organic export growth.
At Biofach 2026, Indian exhibitors are showcasing organic products from states including Assam and Kerala.
Agrawal hopes that by teaming up farmers into legal groups (like co-ops) and building better supply chains for products like tea and coffee, India can become a global leader in organic food.