The 4th Edition of National Spice Conference 2025 convened key stakeholders across the spice value chain to discuss food safety, sustainable farming, technological innovation and market readiness.
Nov., 2025: The 4th Edition of the National Spice Conference (NSC) 2025 was held at ITC Welcom, Guntur, on November 14-15. The event saw robust participation from industry leaders, policymakers, scientific institutions, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and sustainability practitioners representing all segments of the spice value chain.
Organised by the World Spice Organisation (WSO), the not-for-profit technical arm of the All India Spices Exporters Forum, the conference reaffirmed WSO’s commitment to advancing food safety and sustainability within the global spice industry.
With the theme “Spice Route Ahead – Safe, Sustainable and Scalable,” NSC 2025 highlighted strategies for building a future-ready, resilient and globally competitive spice ecosystem. The discussions centred on enhancing food safety standards, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and scaling innovations that equip farmers and businesses to navigate evolving domestic and international market demands.
The conference brought together representatives from FSSAI, the Ministry of Agriculture, scientific panels, leading spice companies, agri-innovation enterprises, and numerous FPOs. Deliberations focused on strengthening compliance frameworks, accelerating the adoption of sustainability models, and improving farmer access to emerging market opportunities.
Speaking on the evolving priorities of the sector, Ramkumar Menon, Chairman, WSO, noted: “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 across India.”
Addressing regulatory developments, Dr. Paresh Shah, Chairman of the FSSAI Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues, emphasized the need for safe, traceable, and compliant spices for both domestic consumers and global markets. Dr. Remashree, Director, Spices Board, and Sarath Babu Guddala, AGM, NABARD, outlined government initiatives aimed at supporting sustainable cultivation, improving productivity, and enhancing farmer readiness to meet evolving quality standards.
Industry leaders including Rajiv Shah, Managing Director, Everest Spices, and Prakash Namboodiri, BU Head, AB Mauri, shared insights on market trends, technological adoption and quality expectations shaping the future of spice processing and trade. Experts such as Jasmer Dhingra, Programs Director, IDH India, Dr. Homey Cherian, Director, DASD, and Ganapathy K. D., Executive Director, Nedspice Processing India Pvt. Ltd., underscored the role of science-based agricultural practices in ensuring compliance and market preparedness.
Day One of the conference featured technical sessions on food safety, sustainable supply-chain practices, agricultural and processing innovations, and the role of communities of practice in fostering inclusive growth. Speakers explored pathways to improve spice quality, enhance traceability and integrate agri-technologies to boost farm productivity and environmental performance. FPOs shared ground-level experiences, contributing practical insights toward building a more resilient supply chain.
Day Two covered emerging market trends, crop updates, strategies for balancing growth with responsibility and a dedicated platform connecting producers, processors and buyers. These interactive exchanges facilitated market linkages and highlighted new opportunities for FPOs in both 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. Participating FPOs presented their achievements and demonstrated how good agricultural practices and sustainability frameworks are enhancing farm incomes, strengthening value-chain transparency, and improving long-term market access.
About World Spice Organisation
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).
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