The Girijan Cooperative Corporation Ltd (GCC) of Andhra Pradesh has taken a major leap in the organic coffee market, securing organic certification for Araku Coffee—a move that has unlocked exports to European markets and landed a major domestic deal with Tata Consumer Products.
Organic Certification Opens New Doors
GCC’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kalpana Kumari, confirmed that the certification has already generated strong interest. “With this certification, we have started marketing organic coffee separately. The response has been fantastic, with orders already secured from Germany, Italy, and Tata Group in India,” she said in a statement to PTI.
Tata Consumer Products has now partnered with GCC to market and sell certified organic Araku Coffee, grown by tribal farmers in the Paderu Agency region.
“We’ve always known Araku coffee to be organic, but this is the first time we have secured an official certification,” Kumari added.
A Landmark Project in Sustainable Farming
The road to organic certification hasn’t been easy. Since 2019, GCC has worked tirelessly to bring 2,600 tribal farmers under organic coffee cultivation across 2,275 hectares in Chintapalli and GK Veedhi mandals.
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The certification process took three years and required strict compliance with organic farming protocols. GCC worked closely with an Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)-approved certification body, which conducted routine inspections and audits to ensure compliance.
To reward farmers for their efforts, GCC has set premium procurement prices for organic coffee:
- Arabica Parchment: ₹450 per kg (vs. ₹400 for the regular variety)
- Arabica Cherry: ₹330 per kg (vs. ₹250 for the regular variety)
This price hike is expected to encourage more farmers to adopt organic practices, ensuring a steady supply of high-quality coffee for both domestic and international buyers.
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Expanding to Organic Pepper with Tata
Buoyed by its coffee success, GCC is now expanding its organic certification efforts to pepper, again in collaboration with Tata Consumer Products.
The first consignment of organic pepper is set to be delivered in April.
Transforming Lives, One Harvest at a Time
Founded in 1956, GCC has been at the forefront of empowering tribal communities in Andhra Pradesh. Through its market intervention programs, the cooperative supports 20,000 tribal families, helping them access larger markets, secure fair pricing, and adopt sustainable farming practices.
With Tata’s backing and increasing global demand for organic produce, GCC is now positioning Andhra Pradesh as a key player in the organic agriculture sector—both within India and on the global stage.
