Innovations in Spices Production and Value Chain Management

The spices economy of the country is vital to the agricultural sector owing to its high value of output from unit area and the significant role played by the spice commodities in the agricultural export basket. Using secondary data on variables affecting domestic availability and exportable surplus of spices, the trends are identified. The paper examines the extant technology and innovation ecosystem in spice crop economy in the back drop of the identified trends in production and trade of spices. After describing the key features and evolution of the institutional innovation architecture in spices economy, the key drivers of the innovation are discussed along with the significant innovations under various categories of innovation having a significant impact on the entire production, processing and marketing of spices across the globe. Using the data on emerging trends in spice value chains, the potential for innovations in spice value chain and the innovative elements of some of the significant innovations in spice value chains is also brought out. We conclude that the health and vibrancy of the innovation ecosystem in crop sector is important in determining the profitability and sustainable viability of spice economy. By nurturing and improving techniques, technologies and innovations in the entire spices sector, it is possible to overcome the challenges posed by competing countries in global spice trade and help in consolidating our position as a market leader in meeting the global demand for spices.