India’s natural farming movement has made considerable success on the supply side, with policies, pilots, and farmer trainings gaining traction. However, a key pillar — consumer demand — remains underdeveloped, thus preventing it from reaching its full potential. In the absence of a strong market pull that is supported by visibility, trust, and affordability, the natural farming ecosystem risks a crash before it takes off. The next chapter must be led not only by farmers and governments, but also by individuals, civil society, and ethical businesses capable of shaping a trustworthy demand-side landscape.

Grassroots and civil society-led models are developing viable alternatives to certification-based systems across India. Sahaja Aharam in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh connects 9,000 farmers directly to consumers through organic stores, while Bhoomgadi Organic in Chhattisgarh helped tribal farmers get market access by developing trust through proximity.

These community-driven achievements are important given the concerns about certification fraud and credibility gaps. Experiences have shown that government-led certification regimes, despite their good intentions, often end up strengthening traders instead of producers, and breed corruption. Trust is better built through direct engagement and transparent systems. For instance, Safe Harvest bypassed formal certification and offered lab-tested, pesticide-free produce with QR code disclosures. This exhibits the strength of bottom-up trust,........

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