Our recent trip to India highlighted the country’s remarkable potential as a source of organic superfoods — but also the hidden challenges rooted deep in its agricultural history.
India is a true treasure chest for superfoods like turmeric, ginger, moringa, and countless Ayurvedic herbs. With a rich and well-documented tradition of natural medicine and agriculture, India offers an incredible range of organic products, renowned worldwide for their quality and health benefits.
However, beneath this abundance lies a complex legacy. Following independence in 1947, India launched the Green Revolution in the 1960s to boost agricultural productivity and feed its growing population. While successful in increasing food production, it also introduced extreme overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, leading to long-term soil degradation, water contamination, and destroyed ecosystems – the aftermath still lingers today. Decades-old chemical residues like DEET, once sprayed widely from airplanes, persist in the soil and water today, with halving times spanning 50 to 100 years. This historic contamination continues to pose challenges for sourcing truly clean, organic ingredients.
The Ever-Shifting Nature of Smallholder farming
One of the biggest hurdles in organic sourcing from India is the unpredictability of smallholder farming. Unlike large-scale industrial farms, these small farms cannot cultivate the same crops continuously on the same land. Crop rotation is essential to maintaining soil health—meaning a farmer who grew turmeric this season may switch to ginger or wheat next season, or may even leave the land to rest.
This creates a moving target for processors and exporters. A farmer group that supplied premium turmeric last year may not grow turmeric at all this year. Instead, another group—previously specialising in ginger—may now be growing turmeric. But what happens next season? The landscape shifts again.
For those sourcing multiple organic products like turmeric, ginger, and ashwagandha, this is a logistical nightmare—like herding cats. No single farmer group is dedicated to one crop, and their cultivation plans change yearly based on soil conditions, market demand, and weather patterns.
The Unpredictability of Nature and Farmer Decision-Making
Even when farmers decide on a crop, nature has the final say. Rain can be too little or too much. Winds can be too strong. A sudden invasion of insects, snails, or locusts can wipe out entire fields overnight. Despite meticulous planning, a crop that was supposed to yield abundantly might fail due to unforeseen circumstances.
In response, some farmers resort to pesticides or chemical treatments, even in organic farming groups. If even a handful of farmers in a group make this choice—whether due to desperation or lack of awareness—it contaminates the entire batch. Suddenly, an otherwise excellent organic turmeric harvest is disqualified due to pesticide traces from just a few farmers.
The “Can Do” Culture—And the Reality Check
Another challenge in India is the cultural approach to business interactions. In many cases, suppliers will say “Yes, can do!” even before knowing for sure whether they can fulfill the order. It’s not deception; it’s optimism. The potential for supply exists, but in reality, securing that supply is a complex and uncertain process.
Processors must source from hundreds of farmer groups, each managing dozens or hundreds of smallholder farmers. If one group fails to deliver, processors scramble to source from another—leading to last-minute changes, shortages, or inconsistent quality.
Navigating the Pitfalls of India’s Organic Supply Chain
India’s vibrant biodiversity and centuries-old farming traditions make it a treasure trove for organic superfoods, but sourcing here isn’t for the faint of heart. Beneath the lush green fields and smiling farmers are bureaucratic mazes, fragile ecosystems, and unpredictable risks that can derail even the most well-planned sourcing strategy.
Why We Never Rely on Just One Supplier
The first rule of doing business in India: expect the unexpected. That’s why we never work with just one farmer group or processor. We consolidate volume with a primary partner, but always qualify at least one backup and often a third or even a fourth. These aren’t names on a spreadsheet — we’ve personally visited, vetted, and walked their fields. It’s our way of staying agile and ensuring we can deliver, no matter what.
Certifiers Can Sink Everyone — Even the Innocent
India has a complex organic certification structure governed by APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority). Under APEDA are dozens of certifying bodies, each overseeing groups of farmers and processors. Here’s the kicker: if just one processor under a certifier gets flagged for non-compliance — even for a totally unrelated crop — the entire certifying body can be suspended.
And when that happens, everyone under that certifier suffers. Farmers who’ve done everything right — passed lab tests, packed their product, booked containers — get an email saying: “Sorry, we can’t issue your organic certificate.” Their product sits idle for months, unsellable, while government red tape grinds slowly through re-approval. Some are forced to sell as conventional. Some lose land. It’s brutal.
The Spice Board Bureaucracy: One Missed Step, and You’re Out
Spices are even tougher. Every export of turmeric or ginger must be routed through the Spice Board of India, which takes a pre-shipment sample, analyses it, and issues an approval letter. But here’s the bureaucratic kicker: that letter must be dated before the organic transaction certificate is issued. If not? Your whole shipment is void.
There’s no forgiveness in this system. Miss one sequence, and it’s back to square one — regardless of how perfect your product is.
It’s Not Incompetence — It’s a Tough Game
Some assume failures in India come from incompetence or corruption. But we’ve seen firsthand: most of these guys are competent, passionate, and deeply committed to doing good work. They’re just stuck in a system that’s rigid, reactive, and stacked with invisible traps.
That’s why we spend time on the ground, building relationships with producers who are not just capable farmers, but savvy operators who know how to navigate India’s bureaucratic and logistical terrain. They have the network. The skills. The grit.
Turmeric, Ginger & Ashwagandha: The Real Story From the Ground
At the heart of all this — are the plants!
Turmeric & Ginger
A lot of turmeric recently has been visibly dark and muddy — lacking the vibrant, golden-orange colour we all love. That colour isn’t just aesthetics — it reflects quality, maturity, and curcumin content. Beautiful turmeric should be shiny, almost glowing — golden, orangey, sunny. You should want to frame it before you grind it.
So what should you look for? Big rhizomes (the technical name for their underground stems, which act like roots), ideally each one has a knot and 5–10 thick fingers growing off it. When turmeric is well-grown in fertile, organic soil, you get that thick structure and deep colour.
Ginger follows a similar pattern in terms of structure, though with ginger it’s more about the aroma and bite than the color. You want that spicy, warm punch — and that comes from mature roots and proper post-harvest care.
Both are sensitive to water — too little, and you get dry, shrivelled roots; too much, and they rot in the ground. Ideal growers have large plantations with spray irrigation, not drip. Drip might work for some crops, but not these — they thrive on a diffused water flow from the top, soaking through their wide, sun-loving leaves.
Processing Turmeric & Ginger Properly
Let’s be real. These are roots growing in dung. That’s organic farming: animal manure, compost – literally. But the reality is: when you pull roots out of that, you need to clean them like your life depends on it.
And your processor? They better know their stuff — and how to clean it off.
There are multiple pre-cleaning and cleaning steps before anything goes further. Then the root gets sliced — and here’s a critical lesson we’ve learned: you must slice small enough to allow proper sterilisation. You can’t sterilise powder (it clumps), and you can’t sterilise whole roots (too dense). So you slice into thin cuts or small cubes.
If slices are too thick or irregular? Sterilisation fails. We’ve had cases where poorly sliced pieces got stuck during tumbling, leaving only the bottom sterilised and the top still carrying bacteria. And it takes just one bad chunk to ruin a whole batch. Bacteria throw a party, and you’re left with contaminated product.
So the flow must be:
- Pre-clean
- Clean
- Slice small & uniform
- Sterilize properly
- Dry
- Grind
- Sieve out foreign matter — fibers, stones, insect bits, lumps, etc.
That’s how you get clean, microbiologically safe, vibrant turmeric and ginger powder.
Ashwagandha: Easier, But Still Not Easy
Many Indian producers will offer “ashwagandha powder” — but often it’s the whole plant (roots + leaves), which dilutes potency. The key active compound, withanolides, is found primarily in the root — and only in thick, mature roots at that.
We source only pure organic ashwagandha root, and even then, we screen for size. Skinny roots? You’re mostly getting bark with little active content. And watch out for dried stems — they can look like roots but are basically worthless.
Ashwagandha is a bit more forgiving to process — drier, easier to grind, and not as messy as turmeric or ginger. But the same principles apply: good roots, thorough cleaning, proper drying and grinding, and diligent sieving to remove impurities.
What to Look for in a Good Grower
- Healthy soil — dark, rich, and full of organic matter.
- Proper spacing — usually half a meter between rhizomes.
- Scale — not micro-plots, but real farms with enough volume and control.
- Irrigation — especially spray irrigation for consistency.
- Experience — growers who’ve been through a few tough seasons and know how to manage.
It’s Not Just Product — It’s Process
So when we talk about turmeric or ginger or ashwagandha, we’re not just talking about what’s in the bag. We’re talking about the entire process — soil, slicing, sterilising, grinding, and systems behind it. It’s technical, gritty, and full of invisible risks. But when done right, the result is stunning: powders that smell alive, roots that feel medicinal, and farmers that stay in business another season.
The Solution: Strong Relationships and On-the-Ground Expertise
So, how do we navigate this treasure chest with hidden pitfalls? The key lies in relationships, direct sourcing, and deep local knowledge.
Unlike companies that rely solely on remote transactions, we go on-site. We meet the suppliers, inspect their operations, and—most importantly—go all the way down to the farm level.
Here’s what we do differently:
- We assess the entire supply chain, not just the processor. This means visiting not just the processing facility, but also their sourcing teams, their field agents, and the actual farmers supplying the crops.
- We look for signs of long-term commitment. Are the relationships genuine? Are the farmers comfortable and engaged, or distant and reserved? Are the farmer group signs fresh (put up yesterday for our visit) or weathered, showing years of collaboration?
- We evaluate fallback options. If one supplier falls through, does the processor have others to rely on? Are they proactive in sourcing alternatives, or are they just rolling the dice?
By prioritizing real relationships over transactions, we ensure that we’re working with partners who are structured, reliable, and committed to quality—not just those who promise big things on paper.
Why This Matters
India’s organic market is rich with potential, but it requires patience, diligence, and expertise. Simply waving a purchase order and expecting flawless execution is a recipe for disappointment. The key is knowing who to trust, who can deliver, and who has the systems in place to handle the inevitable challenges.
This is where we excel. By going beyond the surface, building strong, personal connections, and understanding the complexities of India’s agricultural system, we ensure that our sourcing is as reliable, transparent, and high-quality as possible—even in the most challenging environments.
