Suminter India Organics

Suminter India Organics is a privately held supplier of certified organic products fron India to the world. Suminter gives small-scale farms access to a global marketplace through implementing the higher international organic standards.. Suminter bridges the gap between struggling farmers and would-be consumers in an effort to bring healthy and socially responsible goods to market. Suminter’s farming activities are currently spread over 40,000 acres with 15,000 farmers in five states (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttaranchal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala) in India, focusing on two product lines: non-perishable organic food and organic cotton.
History
After completing his undergraduate studies overseas, Sameer Mehra returned to India in 1998 with a fresh idea: organic contract farming in India. On one hand, there is a growing global demand for organic produce. On the other, India has unique advantages that made it a natural choice for cultivating these products: tropical weather and varied landscape ensure agro-climatic diversity and a broad range of crops year-round; due to the high costs - as well as local traditions - fertilizers and pesticides have low penetration throughout much of India; India’s massive population guarantees a low-cost structure where organic farming is labor intensive. With a US$23 billion global market for organic foods in 2002 alone , and a huge shortage of supply, Sameer saw a real opportunity to supply organic produce from India.
In 2004, Sameer founded Suminter India Organics. The company focused its product lines on non-perishable goods and organic cotton largely because spices, grains, and cotton were Indian specialties, and also because they required less intensive supply-chain management (as compared to fresh produce). In order to meet global demand, Suminter integrated the rigid process of international organic certification into its operating model to create a “farm to shelf” full integrated supply chain. Though this added a 2-3 year gap between sourcing farms and organic procurement, Sameer persuaded small-scale farmers of the long-term value of organic farming. Suminter has subsequently built a deep pipeline in Maharashtra and Gujarat - two Indian states where low quality inputs and/or lack of technology has rendered much of the farmland low-yield. By organizing these farmers in a cooperative program, Suminter ensured consistent crop yields, safe farming practices, and a constant demand for produce. Moreover, the company passed on the benefit of higher organic margins, paying farmers a premium over conventional products. In turn, Suminter process, fumigated, packed, marketed and sold to organic distributors globally.
Today, Suminter works with 10,000 local farmers representing 40,000 acres of converted farmland. In a country where certifications (or lack thereof) are often just an added inconvenience, all Suminter products are Organic-Certified, and Suminter’s cotton production in Gujarat is Fair Trade certified. These certifications not only ensure quality and allow for premium pricing, but also highlight fair labor and distribution practices. Suminter is only the third company in India to be Fair Trade certified for cotton, and is currently one of the only players in India delivering these goods to the international market.
When Sameer first founded Suminter, he saw a pure business opportunity in the growing demand for organic products. As he has converted local farms to organic, Sameer has converted his own personal outlook: he now sees tremendous value for Suminter reaching far beyond financial gains and has turned Suminter into a triple-bottom-line business, focusing on economic, social and environmental returns. Organic farming is the only alternative for small and marginal farmers in India. Suminter is scaling up and turning over 80,000 acres of new land. To fund this growth, the company has raised its first round of venture capital funding from Nexus India Capital in 2007. In 2008, Sameer was selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur.

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