CropLife India expands sustainable farming initiatives for tea, spices

CropLife India is stepping up its engagement with the country’s tea and spice sectors to support sustainable cultivation practices amid increasingly stringent pesticide residue standards in global markets, particularly in the European Union.

Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India, said India has nearly 2.5 lakh small tea growers compared to around 1,500 organised tea estates. The industry body has been focusing on enhancing awareness and stewardship among small tea growers through programmes on responsible use of crop protection products, good agricultural practices, residue management and adherence to label recommendations.

CropLife India has also undertaken initiatives to expand the availability of registered crop protection products for tea through science-based regulatory processes. It works closely with the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) on policy advocacy, optimisation of crop protection product application using precision technologies and promotion of responsible, science-based use of crop protection products, Chandra said.

In the spice sector, CropLife India has prepared a consolidated list of approved crop protection products for cumin, cardamom, black pepper, coriander and fenugreek based on inputs from its member companies. The list has been shared with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare for onward sharing with the Spices Board, ICAR–Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) and State Agriculture Departments to improve farmer awareness, encourage label-compliant use and minimise off-label applications.

India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices. However, the sector continues to face a shortage of approved crop protection products for several spice crops, leading to limited label claims, off-label usage and residue-related export risks.

Chandra said the Indian Institute of Spices Research has collaborated with CropLife India to advocate faster label expansion, crop grouping and expedited establishment of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) to address these challenges.

CropLife India has been actively pushing for the implementation of a Crop Grouping Framework to facilitate the establishment of national MRLs and expansion of label claims for minor crops, including spices. With more than 550 crops cultivated in India and over 85 per cent lacking crop-specific label claims, crop grouping offers a globally accepted mechanism to extrapolate residue data from representative crops in line with Codex Alimentarius principles.

He said CropLife India and its member companies have been advocating the need for progressive regulatory measures to provide farmers cultivating spices and plantation crops with access to a wider range of effective and targeted crop protection products while addressing residue concerns.

The association is also partnering with the government, research institutions, commodity boards and farmer organisations to promote science-based policies that improve farmer access to registered crop protection technologies, reduce residue-related trade risks and enhance the competitiveness of India’s agricultural exports.

According to Chandra, accelerating label claim approvals, implementing crop grouping and promoting responsible product stewardship will collectively support sustainable agriculture and strengthen India’s position in global agricultural markets.

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