NewsVoir
Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 17: The World Spice Organisation (WSO), the not-for-profit technical partner of the All India Spices Exporters Forum committed to advancing food safety and sustainability in the spice industry, has successfully concluded the 4th Edition of the National Spice Conference (NSC) 2025. Held at ITC Welcom, Guntur on November 14-15, the event witnessed strong participation from industry leaders, policymakers, scientific institutions, FPOs and sustainability practitioners from across the spice value chain. This year's conference, themed "Spice Route Ahead - Safe, Sustainable and Scalable", focused on shaping a forward-looking, resilient and globally competitive spice ecosystem through enhanced food safety, sustainable agriculture and scalable innovations.
The conference brought together representatives from FSSAI, the Ministry of Agriculture, scientific panels, leading spice companies, agri-innovation firms and Farmer Producer Organisations. Discussions centred on elevating India's position in the global spice trade by strengthening compliance frameworks, accelerating adoption of sustainability practices and enabling farmers to access emerging opportunities in domestic and international markets.
Speaking on the evolving priorities of the sector, Mr. Ramkumar Menon, Chairman, WSO, said, "The spice sector has recognized the importance of sustainability, and the WSO is contributing to this through programs like the National Sustainable Spice Program, which covers more than 25,000 farmers all over India."
Commenting on regulatory developments, Dr. Paresh Shah, Chairman, FSSAI Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues highlighted the growing emphasis on ensuring safe, traceable and compliant spices for both domestic consumers and global markets. Dr. Remashree, Director Spices Board and Mr. Sarath babu Guddala, AGM, NABARD outlined government efforts toward sustainable cultivation, improved productivity and expanded support for farmers adapting to evolving quality requirements.
Industry leaders including Mr. Rajiv Shah, Managing Director, Everest Spices and Mr. Prakash Namboodiri, BU Head, AB Mauri shared insights on market trends, technology adoption and quality expectations shaping the future of spice processing and trade. Experts like Ms. Jasmer Dhingra, Programs Director, IDH India, Dr. Homey Cherian, Director, DASD, Mr. Ganapathy KD, Executive Director, Nedspice Processing India Pvt Ltd. shared the need for science-based agricultural practices to ensure compliance and market readiness.
The first day of the conference featured technical sessions on food safety, sustainable supply chain practices, agri and process innovations and the role of communities of practice in driving inclusive growth. Speakers discussed pathways to improve spice quality, strengthen traceability, and integrate agri-technologies for better farm productivity and environmental outcomes. Farmer groups and FPOs shared field-level experiences, enabling an exchange of practical insights for strengthening supply chain resilience.
The second day covered emerging trends, updates on spice crops, ways to balance growth with responsibility and a dedicated interface connecting producers, processors and buyers. The interactive exchanges provided a platform for market linkages and discussions on new opportunities for FPOs within domestic and export markets.
The conference also showcased the National Sustainable Spice Program (NSSP), WSO's flagship initiative promoting sustainable and food-safe cultivation models. FPOs associated with the programme presented their progress and shared examples of how good agricultural practices and sustainability frameworks are improving farm incomes and market access.
WSO (World Spice Organisation) was established in 2011 with the objectives of achieving Food Safety and Sustainability in the spice sector. Over the years, WSO has undertaken several initiatives in sustainability, biodiversity and food safety in collaboration with national and international organisations including the Spices Board, Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), GIZ (Germany) and IDH - The Sustainable Trade Initiative (Netherlands).
For more information about NSC 2025, visit: www.nationalspiceconference.in
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