OFAI was set up by the Indian organic farming community, environmentalists and social activists in order to promote organic farming, lobby for its official adoption by the Indian government, assist farmers dependent on chemicals to convert to organic systems, help organic farmers with marketing their organic produce and advise its members on how to educate their children outside the urban-oriented school system so that they could be excellent stewards of the lands they inherit.

Mission and goals

The Organic Farming Association of India has been formed with the following objectives:

• To promote nature-friendly, scientific, farming systems and practices that are economically viable, energy efficient and oriented towards the conservation of the environment and the empowerment of rural communities, building upon indigenous and traditional knowledge, skills and practices. It will aim to help organize farm-households and families engaged in organic farming and connected activities lies into a recognizable entity that will effectively represent their interests at local, state, regional and national levels.
• To enable farm-households engaged in organic farming to create the necessary infrastructure and facilities for them to select, save and exchange seeds and rootstock of various crops with each other in situ and ex situ; [more]

Funding Support

Association funding comes from several sources including membership and other fees, grants from funding agencies, sale of publications and consultancy services.

The Organic Farming Association has been formed with several objectives, most of which deal with the promotion of natural, organic, sustainable agriculture in India and elsewhere. [more]

Membership Details

Membership fees as per bye-laws of the association:
Individuals: Rs.100 per year
Non-profit organizations: Rs.1,000 per year
Companies: Rs.5,000 per year
All members are entitled in the first year of membership to four free issues of The Living Field newsletter.

Membership is valid from 1 April – 31 March every year. Fees can be paid for more than one year at a time in advance. (Please note: Since OFAI state secretariats are managed by NGOs, membership may be required to be paid in the name of the NGO concerned and not OFAI. Receipt may also be given by the concerned organization. However, the applicant will get a membership certificate from OFAI, after the fee is transmitted to the central secretariat of the organization by the state secretariat concerned.) [More]