5th edition of 'Women of India Organic Festival' comes to Delhi

Organised on an annual basis by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development since 2015, the 5th edition of the 'Women of India Organic Festival' will be held from October 26 - November 4 at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA). The timing for the 10 days festival (WOI Festival) will be from 10 am till 8 pm

The festival which is going to celebrate and promote women entrepreneurs and farmers in the organic field from across India – will have producers and manufacturers of organic products from 28 Indian states.

Over 500 women entrepreneurs from Leh to Kanyakumari and from Kohima to Kutch, will come together with their organic products including 1200 varieties of rice, several varieties of millets, organic ice creams, ready-to-eat meals and snacks, oils, honey, tea, coffee, skin care, aromatherapy products, solar products, kitchen composers, organic seeds, organic cotton fabrics, among other bioproducts.

All the participants from the remotest parts of the country will travel and stay in the Capital free of cost for the entire duration of the festival while having the opportunity of selling their healthy and wholesome goods to the people of Delhi and surrounding areas.

Talking about the festival, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said, "Organic options encourage consumers to adopt a healthier lifestyle while helping to protect the planet and its eroding natural resources. The Women of India Organic Festival highlights the health and environmental advantages of organic goods, provides a platform for women engaged in this field and encourages the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for women producers from the remotest corners of India. The WOI festival has given a successful platform to empower women farmers and entrepreneurs in a festive and fruitful manner for the past four years. It is a matter of great satisfaction for me that the Ministry's efforts ultimately boost these illustrious rural women's local communities and economies by creating jobs and keeping farmers thriving in addition to spreading awareness about the benefits of organic products."

India has been a part of the organic farming revolution with over 160 million hectares of cultivable land. Better quality of produce fetches enhanced prices and adds approximately 20% to the incomes of related farmers.

Overall, the income and savings of a farmer using exclusively organic methods in agriculture increases by over 50% since there is no investment in costly chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and preservatives.