GUNTUR: With global demand surging and sustainability taking center stage, stakeholders from across India’s spice ecosystem have gathered to explore the future of the industry.
The 4th National Spice Conference 2025, hosted by the World Spice Organisation (WSO) in partnership with the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF), commenced on Thursday, 14 November, at ITC Welcom, Guntur.
The two-day summit, themed “Spice Route Ahead – Safe, Sustainable and Scalable,” was inaugurated by WSO Chairman Ramkumar Menon, who welcomed delegates and emphasised the sector’s dual priorities: enhancing food safety and fostering scalable growth.
“The spice industry stands at a pivotal moment where global demand is rising, sustainability is no longer optional, and scalability will determine who leads tomorrow,” he said.
Paresh Shah, Chairman of the FSSAI Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues, underscored the importance of supply chain integrity, stating, “From farm to fork, food safety must be our guiding principle and our strategies must leave no gap in trust or traceability.”
AB Remashree, Director of the Spices Board, highlighted the transformative potential of technology in agriculture. “Technology is the lever; our challenge is to bring it into the fields, scale it across geographies, and ensure farmers share in the value created,” she noted. Day one featured dynamic discussions on food safety, inclusive growth through communities of practice, and AgriTech-driven farming innovations. The event drew a diverse mix of stakeholders, including farmer-producer organisations (FPOs), agritech firms, exporters, regulators, and global spice industry leaders, reflecting a strong collaborative spirit.
The conference resumes on Saturday with sessions focused on responsible growth and a dedicated buyer-seller interface designed to foster direct engagement between producers and processors—paving the way for strategic partnerships and actionable outcomes.