S S R A N AS R S C I E N T I S T

Participatory certification - A Farmer

Empowering Approach

Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)

� An alternative to third party certification� In PGS organic farmers have full control over the

certification process and are able to produce far more credible and effective system of quality assurance compared to third party certification.

� An effort to make organic certification affordable to farmers

� A system aims to convert producers into entrepreneurs

� A system with full transparency empowers consumers with full traceability

Participatory certification

� Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) is a quality assurance initiative that is locally relevant, emphasize the participation of stakeholders, including producers and consumers and operate outside the frame of third party certification.

� “Participatory Guarantee Systems are locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange” (IFOAM definition, 2008).

Guiding Principles for OrganicParticipatory Guarantee System

� Participation� Shared Vision� Transparency� Trust� Horizontality� National networking

Advantages of PGS over third party certification system

a. The procedures are simple; documents are basic and use the local language understandable to farmers.

b. All the members are local and known to each other. Being themselves practicing organic farmers have high degree of understanding on dayto- day knowledge or acquaintance of the farm.

c. Peer appraisers are among the group and live in the same village, therefore have better access to surveillance

Advantages of PGS over third party certification system

d. Peer appraisal instead of third party inspections reduces cost

e. Mutual recognition and support between Regional PGS groups ensures better networking for processing and marketing.

f. Empowers farmers with increased capacity buildingg. Bring consumers to the farm without the need of

middleman

Advantages of PGS over third party certification system

h. Unlike grower group certification system, PGS offer every farmer with individual certificate and each farmer is free to market its own produce independent of group.

i. Consumers and buyers are often involved in production and verification process

j. Random residue testing at regular intervals ensures the integrity and increases the trust.

Limitations

� Voluntary� Individual farmers or group of farmers having <5 members

are not covered under PGS. They either have to opt for third party certification or join the existing PGS local group.

� Not applicable on exports� For domestic local markets� Applicable only on groups� Only for Crop production and processing� Ensures traceability till the product is under group’s custody� Off-farm processing/handling allowed only under group

supervision

History of Participatory Guarantee Systems

� The organic movement has been a pioneer in the implementation and definition of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). Organic certification started in various parts of the world in the 70s and 80s based on associative systems that were very close to what is now called PGS. Some of these associations are still doing participatory certification today, such as for example Nature & Progrès in France. Even though third party certification (following ISO 65 requirements) has become the dominant form of certification in the food sector, as well as many other sectors, alternative certification systems have never ceased to exist.

� In 2004, IFOAM, and MAELA, the Latin American Agroecology Movement, jointly organized the first International Workshop on Alternative Certification that took place in Torres, Brazil. It is at that workshop that the concept of “Participatory Guarantee Systems” was adopted. At this event, an international working group on PGS was established, which later became an official Task Force under the umbrella of IFOAM. The Task Force worked on further defining PGS, and established the key elements and key features of PGS in a document entitled “Shared Visions – Shared Ideals”.

� Since then, IFOAM has continuously supported the development of PGS in the organic sector. In parallel, other sectors have been looking into the concept to certify various products or processes. Still, IFOAM and the organic movement remain a leader in the concept of PGS at the international level, and are now advocating for their recognition by governments as valid local certification systems in cases where the organic sector is legally regulated.

P G S I S B A S E D O N N A T I O N A L S T A N D A R D S O FO R G A N I C P R O D U C T I O N ( N P O P )

PGS Standards

Operational Structure

Farmer/ Farm family

Farmer groups

Facilitating agencies (optional)

Regional Councils

Zonal Councils (may be on Regional basis)

National Centre of Organic Farming As Secretariat

National Advisory Committee at DAC

Functional Units

Local group – Main functional and decision making unit

Regional Council – Surveillance and group’s decision endorsement

Zonal council – Coordination, capacity building, appeal redressal, surveillance

PGS Secretariat – Custodian of data, Appointment of RC and ZC, Residue testing, website maintenance

PGS-NAC – National policy making advisory body

PGS-NAC

PGS-NAC being apex policy making body shall be responsible for:� Defining, make changes, improvements and

amendments to the programme� Selection and Authorization of National and Regional

Councils� Surveillance and monitoring on the functioning of

National and Regional councils� Sanction/ withdrawal of authorization to National/

Regional councils on being found not functioning or not functioning according to the guidelines.

NCOF as PGS Secretariat

� All executive and secretarial responsibilities� Capacity building, education and outreach activities for Zonal and

Regional councils and trainings to LG leaders� Surveillance and monitoring of National and Regional Councils� PGS India Website design, hosting and maintenance� Custodian of entire PGS India database� Receipt and processing of applications for authorization of NAC as

National/Regional Councils/ facilitation agencies� Surveillance of PGS products through residue testing� Appellate authority for local groups against the actions and

decisions of Regional Councils� Literature development, publicity, technology dissemination and

awareness creation through print and electronic media.

Zonal Council(Regional basis)

� Receipt, processing and authenticity verification of application for authorization as Regional Council.

� Capacity building of Regional councils� Surveillance and monitoring� Complaint redressal of farmers and local groups against the

functioning and actions of Regional councils� Appellate authority on complaints of certificate denial by RC or

sanctions imposed by RC on local groups� Appellate authority on complaints of traders/ retailers/ consumers

on the quality/ organic integrity of PGS products of particular group and action taken or inaction of RC.

� Collaborate PGS Secretariat in collection of PGS certified samples for residue analysis

For State Govt Agency RCs, RCOFs shall be the Zonal Council

Regional Councils

� Regional Council (RC) can ideally be floated by State agencies, existing NGOs, Organic Certification service providers of Central and State Governments or any other agency having adequate expertise in organic guarantee system implementation.

� Local groups with three years standing in PGS programme are allowed to form their own RC with support of 10 local groups.

� Local groups dissatisfied with the functioning and control of their existing RC can, any time, come-together to form a new RC, provided they have support of at least 10 local groups

� Existing RCs under NGO PGS will also be considered if they apply & meet criteria

Role and Responsibilities of RCs

� Training and information support to local groups� Facilitate local groups in data uploading on PGS website,� Surveillance on LGs through participation� Endorsement of LGs certification decision� Can NOT pick and choose individual farmers to� certify, only approve /confirms the collective decision of

the Local Group as a whole and organic integrity of the system adopted by the local group.

� Issue ID number to each approved Local Group (received the instant ID Pool maintained on PGS Website).

Local Group (LG)

� Local group is the main functional and decision making body� It is a local group of farmers that live in the same

village or close villages� The local group can be an existing organic group

previously working under third party certification system or� a new grassroots group started and run by local

farmers/consumers, or it can be started by a NGO or Government agency or self help group

Characteristics of PGS Local Group

� Non-hierarchical� Democratic composition� Leadership to be rotated� Every member need to participate in peer review

and decision making� Sharing of knowledge and capacity building

Requirement and eligibility criteria for a local group

� A Local group should comprise of minimum 5 farmers (no upper limit) belonging to close by villages with continuous territory.

� At least few members of the group shall be well versed with the PGS organic guarantee systems and National Standards of Organic Production (NPOP).

� Or at least few members have undergone training on PGS guarantee system

� All the members in the group have signed the PGS pledge� Although, there is no restriction on the size of holding of any

individual farmer but in any case the holding of one single member should not exceed one third of the total land under the group.

� Under PGS organic guarantee system parallel production and part conversion is not allowed, therefore all group members need to bring their entire farm with livestock under organic management as per the PGS standards within maximum of 24 months.

� RC need to ensure full conversion before granting certification approval

� Have access to PGS documents and preferably have access to computer and internet

� Registered with Concerned Regional Council and have obtained necessary user ID and password to upload data on PGS website.

� In case if farmer group is unable to operate on-line system of data up loading then the services can be availed from Regional Council or of any other facilitating agency or local NGO etc.

PGS Certification process (At Local Group Level)

� Willing Farmers make group� Pledge to follow organic� Sign pledge and agreement� Follow standards� Obtain endorsement from other group� Register with Regional Council� Peer review� Certification decision� Submission of LG summary sheet to RC for

approval

PGS Certification process (At Regional Council Level)

� Receive application of groups� Check, grant registration� Provide all documents� Participate in group meetings, surveillance, peer

review� Facilitate group in data uploading on web site� Receive summary sheet, check� Approve or not approve certification decision� RC can not decide on individual farm. Can

approve or reject the entire decision of the group

PGS Certification process (At ZonalCouncil Level)

� Capacity building of RCs and Groups� Trainings� Surveillance� Appellate authority for groups� Assist PGS Secretariat in sample collection� Monitoring of programme operation – online or

physical� Do not interfere in autonomic functioning of Local

group and RC� Even if adverse report is there or residue testing

turns positive. Report placed on website and communicated to RC. Action to be taken by RC and group

Endorsement of Certification decision by RC

� On getting the LG summary Sheet, check for details. If all requirements are met and no adverse report then endorse the decision and issue UID Code� RC can not decide on individual farmers but can

either approve or not-approve the decision of the group� In case of denial communicate in writing with

reasons and justification

Time limitation for decision

� RC need to convey the decision in 15 days.� Failing LG can approach ZC for decision� ZC need to decide in 7 days� Failing LG can appeal to PGS secretariat� Non-adherence of time by RC or ZC is major non-

compliance

Grant of Logo and unique certificate ID code

On getting the certification approval from the Regional Council, Local Group can print individual certificates from PGS website and can use the PGS logo on packets or containers of PGS certified products. Individual farmer certificate will have a unique ID code, identifying the RC, Local Group and the farmer. Each certificate will also list out the products certified during the year and the expected quantity produced.

The validity of Certificate is for 12 months. On receipt of next LG summary sheet the validity is increased further

Certification of on-farm/off-farm processing at hired facilities

� Allowed only for direct produce of the group� Non-agricultural ingredients, extractants, some

spices in small quantities, salt, water etc can be used from out side� PGS processing standards to be followed� Many groups can join together and form federation.� Processing by PGS-group federation needs separate

registration and approval by RC

Separate logo for PGS organic and PGS under conversion status

�Two separate logos are proposed for PGS organic and PGS under conversion as follows:

PGS Organic Certified organicPGS Green Grown without

chemicals organic in-conversion

PGS Logos

UID Code – Each logo shall be provided with a unique identification code No. Consumers can access all related information from PGS Website

Autonomous decision making

• Decision making is restricted to Local Group• Regional council can not dictate or interfere in

functioning of group• It can only approve or disprove the LGs decision

as a whole• Zonal councils and PGS secretariat can not

interfere in autonomic functioning of RC and LGs

• Even if some non-compliances are found or residue test turns out to be positive, it will be informed to RC and LG for action and report to be placed on website

Transparency in PGS

� Entire information shall be on a website in public domain� Consumers can access all traceability records from

website� Random residue testing strengthens trust

PGS Empower Farmers

PGS being farmer group centric, ensures that:� Farmers own the system� Operate it� Make decisions� Build each others capacity� Provides opportunity for leadership

Link producers with trade

As PGS traceability is restricted up to the custody of group, it emphasize that the farmers:� Under take all processing� Packaging� Direct marketing� Even provides scope for direct selling� Eliminates middleman

Future Prospects

� PGS being low cost and locally relevant ideal for domestic trade� Capacity built in PGS can help in future shift

to TPC without the need for separate ICS� PGS will strengthen organic movement� Being trust based and transparent better

suited to organic philosophy