Call Out…

CVV Nair, Palakkad district, Kerala

“I have 2.5 acres. Black pepper mostly. We farm like our fathers did. NGO says do organic. Says government money will come. Vermi-compost unit also. Now he says I am certified. But my farming looks same. What really changed?”

Reality Translation Layer.

Nair ji, you were already doing near-organic farming. Low chemicals. Traditional practices. Pepper, clove, cardamom—this belt never depended heavily on inputs. Organic did not change your field practices because there was nothing drastic to change. Certification came on paper, not from transformation.

Am I alone or someone is holding my hand!

You are mostly alone. The NGO helped you access subsidy and paperwork. That is support, but it is limited. There is no buyer guidance, no price discussion, no market linkage. After certification, the system leaves you to continue as before.

Is it really worthwhile or just cosmetics?

For you, this is largely cosmetic. Organic status has not improved income, reduced effort, or opened new markets. Unless someone commits to buying your pepper at a better price, organic remains a label—useful for reports, not for your household economics.