Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS)
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) area locally focused quality assurance system. They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange
PGS represent an alternative to third party certification, especially adapted to local markets and short supply chains. They enable the direct participation of producers, consumers and other stakeholders in:
- The Choice and definition of the standards.
- The Development and implementaion of verification procedures.
- The review and decision process to recognize farmers as organic
- PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System of India) 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.
- PGS India system is based on participatory approach, a shared vision, transparency and trust. In addition it gives PGS movement a National recognition and institutional structure.
- i.e Participation, Shared Vision, Transparency, Trust, Horizontality and Networking
- National Centre for Organic Farming is a nodal organization for promotion of organic farming under INM Division, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India under Soil Health Management component of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). NCOF came into force in 2004, for implementing National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) along with its Regional Centers.
- PGS-India standards have been defined in tune with National Standards for Organic Production (NSOP) prescribed under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) to maintain uniformity in organic production process and quality of organic products in the country. For ease of functioning and understanding standards are presented here in easy to understand and simplified form.
In Summary, Steps to group certification
- Create awareeness among produers
- Decide together to go for orgnic
- Producers commit themselves to follow organic rules
- Traing on production rules
- Training on documentation requirements
- Formalization on Internal Control System (ICS), registration
- Contracting of producers
- Application for external inspection
- Internal annual inspection, compilation of findings, corrective action when needed
- First external inspection
- Complying with the corrective action requests
- Second external inspection; certification
Organic Crop Production
- Scope
- Habitat Management and General Requirements
- Diversity Management
- Integration of livestock
- Soil and Water Conservation
- Contamination Control
- Conversion requirements
- Seeds and planting material
- Soil fertility and nutrient management
- Insect pest, disease and weed management
Large contiguous area
- Collection of non-cultivated products of plant origin from wild habitats and forests.
- Scope
- General Requirement
- 2.1 For Local Groups
- 2.2 For Individual Processing and Handling units away from group
- Organic Management Plan
- Specific Requirements
- Facility Pest Management
- Ingredients
- Processing Methods
- Product Composition for Organic Food
- Storage & Transport
- Packaging
Benefits Of PGS India Web Portal
- It will promote transparency in certification process.
- It will lead to creation of a database of Organic producers and area under PGS certification with due traceability
- National Networking of organic producers, consumers and traders
- Easy to maintain documents and records of crop production
- Information is accessible to public domain
- Consumer verification of organic produce